Espionage 101
by Fuji's Girl
Summary: He thought she was dead. She wasn't. Memories lost by amnesia, Ryuuzaki Sakuno, aka 'Agent 101' is no longer the damsel in distress but the only person who can save him. Fujisaku.
1. Chapter 1 Illusions

**Espionage 101**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Prince of tennis or any of its characters. I only wish I could so that I could make Fuji mine : P….but sadly wishing is only for dreamers and dreams are far from every becoming real so my self-declared possession of Fuji Syuusuke can only reach the point of these stories.

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**A/N**: Ahuh, minna, your delusional and head-over-heels in love author is back! Yup! So, this is In an Undercover Romance Revised version, and as warned in its predecessor, this story has a lot of OOCness both in Fuji and Sakuno. Well, as they say there are always different sides to a person and I wanted to feature some possibilities in changes of character when it came to my favorite love tandem, Fujisaku. Anyhow, this is the fruit of my pursuit and without further ado, enjoy!

PS: Oh, and yeah, don't get tricked by the Rui –Akari scene….They aren't OC's. If you want to know who they REALLY are…read more and find out. :D

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**Chapter One**

**Illusions**

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Breathing in the fresh scent of spring, the brunette tucked both his feet underneath his thighs as he sat in a squat underneath the cherry tree. He let the frame of his well built torso hidden underneath his kimono rest at the gnarly trunk of a sakura tree. Petals were raining down and fluttering in the light breeze that tingled his skin.

Sayuri.

Hmph. There was no doubt that the girl would want to have a few clumps in her vase right now.

"I'll give this to her," he eyed the sakura blossoms he held in his hand.

All of the sudden, just as he tucked the blossoms safely away in his sleeve, the brunette felt a cold hand rest on his shoulder.

An intruder!

On instinct, the newest member of the Royal Guard twisted the intruders arm in a jujutsu grapple that was bound to immobilize the person as he unsheathed his sword and pressed it against the intruder's throat underneath the cloak. He couldn't see the face underneath the brown, shady hood but the brunette was sure that this fool was up to no good.

The interloper snorted a chuckle and he felt the flame of anger surge across every inch of his body.

This fool dared to sneak up on him, Hanazawa Rui, hitoriki of Mibu?

Wrong choice.

If this impertinent buffoon thought he could get past him and harm his Sayuri then –

"Well, well. It seems you haven't lost your touch, Rui," a cold monotone female voice whispered from underneath the hood. The cerulean-eyed brunette let his grip on the intruder loosen and his sword fell on the ground point down as he watched two hands work down the hood to reveal the sharp green eyes of his sensei.

"Akara-sama!"

The young woman smirked as he took a step backwards, blue cerulean eyes widening a fraction as he realized his mistake.

"Hmm, it's good to know that you haven't forgotten me, Rui. I thought you would, after all, within just a two-week time period on this single assignment you've forgotten why you were sent to the Royal palace in the first place. You've changed Rui," Akara paced, circling like a vulture around him. " Would you care to explain why I needed to come and follow up on you Rui? Hmmm?"

Rui bent down to pick up his sword and sheathed it back to his side.

"Nothing in me has changed," his voice hardened at her accusation. "I am a hitoriki. An assassin, Akara-sama. You trained me myself. I cannot change."

"Is that so?"Akara paused for a moment. Her cold calculating eyes bore through him as she purposefully strode towards him and then stopped just a meter away.

"Yes."

Akara frowned.

"You lie!"

Several poison tipped kunias flew across him but Rui managed to dodge them in the nick of time. He could hear the thwacking of the blades as they sunk deep into the sakura tree that he had been standing in front of earlier and Rui cursed aloud.

"Haven't changed, huh?" muttered the deadly woman as she flung more kunai's into his direction. "Hmph. Let's see about that."

The rain of blades was endless but Rui managed to dodge some of them while batting away the others with his sword. Caught up in the moment, Rui left a point on his arm unguarded and a wheezing blade pinned his sword-arm to a tree behind him.

More kunais flew at him.

The blue-eyed assassin thought it was the end when he saw the blades head straight at him and he involuntarily closed his eyes. He winced, but when he didn't feel any pain, Rui opened them to find that instead of piercing him to death, the blades had outlined his entire form, pinning him wholly to the tree.

Helplessly he could only watch as Akara drew out her sandbatou – her favorite killing weapon – and headed towards the palace.

Oh no! Sayuri!

"Akara, I, I…..please….I'm begging you….don't, don't do this to Sayuri. The princess….she, she doesn't deserve to die. If you ever loved my brother at all, then please, stop this…." his voiced cracked as his head hung low.

Miraculously, Akara stopped right in her tracks and slowly turned to face him.

"What did you say?"

Rui bit his lips.

"Akara-sama…please…don't kill her….for my sake….for my brother's sake. Please."

Now Akara strode towards him instead of towards the palace, he sanbatou still in tow.

"See, look at you Rui. Look at how you've changed. You let her addle your brain Rui. Your mission was to kill her but last night you failed to do so," her cold voice was tainted in disappointment. "And why? For what reason? Because you started to love her. Her –Tsukinomi Sayuri – princess of our enemy! Are you that great of a fool, hmmm, Hanazawa Rui?"

His eyes lay fixed in the ground, but then she put the dull end of the sanbatou underneath his chin and lifted his face to make his cerulean orbs stagger into hers.

"Answer!"

Rui's mouth twitched.

"I, I …..Akara-sama…don't…"

"You are a fool," she declared, dropping her hold on his chin. She scowled. "And to think you used Haru's name in trying to convince me to show mercy on your little princess. Cheh. Using my husband's name to beg for her life, how pathetic! The old Hanazawa Rui never begged for mercy, much less for others. He was a true assassin to the end! Your brother would be ashamed!"

The brunette watched Akara lift her weapon in front of him and held his breath.

"Yes, Akara-sama, kill me, but please, I'm begging you! Don't kill her!"

Rui's heart fell when Akara's mouth twisted into a frown.

"No."

The blade came hurtling down on him. But instead of slashing through his abdomen as he had expected it to, the knife didn't cut through his flesh at all. The sanbatou had cut through both of the corners of his sleeves and freed his arms.

"Sensei?"

Akara's lips thinned. She continued to remove the kunais that were pinning him in silence as he stared at her in confusion.

"I'm doing this because of your brother," she muttered. Tugging him free of the last kunai, Akara dropped her poison-tipped knives back into her pouch and pulled the hood back up her head. "You should be grateful I came in to fill your mistakes and erase them. Sayuri-hime has already been taken care of. Make sure to never make the same mistake again Rui, or I will definitely kill you."

What?! Rui tried to grab hold of her but Akara had already jumped up a tree and disappeared just as quickly as she had come.

Adrenaline pumping through his body, Rui ran the other way towards the palace. If what she had said was true then – Oh kami! Please no!

His heart fell. On the floor, Sayuri's strongest and most trusted body guards lay dead.

"Sayuri!"

Rui tore out the shoji door and entered her room.

"Sayu- nani?" Rui froze, eyes on the open window. "Nani ka?"

The assassin continued staring at the open window, cerulean eyes lighting up in surprise.

"CUT! Cut, cut, cut! Okay people, that's a wrap! We'll redo the shoji scene tomorrow. Fuji, I need to talk with you NOW."

Instantly the supposedly empty room came to life. Props men appeared behind the set, cameramen turned their gadgets off and actors and actresses who had purposefully 'died' stood up again to be swarmed by their agents and make-up artists.

Everyone was leaving, and leaving in a rush too. Each person either had an errand to run to, an appointment to make or a schedule to keep up with.

It couldn't be helped; everyone was extremely busy – all except Fuji Syuusuke of course. He seemed to be in the exact opposite of 'busy' right now. The twenty-eight year old actor just stood where he had been standing earlier, dazed and confused.

"Fuji Syuusuke I said NOW." Growled the semi-bald director. He narrowed his eyes on the brunette and tapped his foot impatiently. "NOW!!"

Well, somehow that managed to grab the brunette's attention and Fuji snapped out of his daze.

"What?" he asked the director, albeit in a very cold manner.

Fuji's face as he did so was placid, expressionless. Ever since that day, the tensai had lost his smiles, both his sadistic facade of a grin and his true smile – the smile he had when she was still there in his life. There was no doubt that that day had changed his entire being. The sadism that defined him was nearly all but lost and all that was left of it was this jaded being, coated by a cool indestructible aura and a character of indifference.

Whether he cared to admit or not, the indifference was a handy tool sometimes, especially during moments like these…

"…..this move productions is supposed to be…..don't ruin it….you were hired here because….. – Fuji Syuusuke were you even listening?" roared the director.

Fuji ignored him and glanced around the set. He snickered when he noticed that they were the only two people left in the set; everyone had long gone out the door already.

The time on his watch read five minutes after ten.

Damn.

This idiot had just wasted five minutes of his day on a stupid lecture he did NOT need to hear. Sheesh.

"Baka," he muttered underneath his breath and walked away.

The director merely shook his head and followed the actor out the door. He couldn't expect to get rid of Fuji that easily over a trifling matter, or even expect him to listen when he wanted to say something. The cerulean eyed actor was the best gun he had – well the best actor Japan had, actually – and no one could put a finger on what he would do.

After all, Fuji was a perfectionist and this was the first time in the last six months on the movies set that he made a mistake while the camera was rolling. Yes, unbelievably, it was the first time Fuji Syuusuke needed to do a retake on a particular scene in the movie set and it was clear that the brunette did not want to make the same mistake again. Though he had barely listened to him, the semi-bald man was sure that Fuji already knew what went wrong in the shoji scene and knew how to fix it.

The director could see it in his eyes when the actor walked out on him.

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"Shoji scenes….movie directors….retakes…..Ugh. They are really taunting me to give them a taste of their own medicine," Fuji grumbled as he walked to his own dressing room.

"Seems like you're not having a very good day, are you, honey?"

Oh great.

Another big bummer to his life – the real person behind the movie character Sayuri-hime – also known as Sanatsu Minichi, evil in its purest form.

What was she up to this time?

Dressed up in nothing but a black bra and very lacey thong, the extremely controversial actress batted her eyelashes seductively at him. She was posing in front of his dressing room door and her hand beckoned him to come closer.

Fuji knew better than to take the bait.

Whipping a camera from out of nowhere, Fuji snapped a photo and smirked smugly as she looked at him, shocked.

"I – but – ugh …" she stuttered.

"Sanatsu, I'm not a simpleton like you. If your boyfriend Riki really wants to ruin my career that badly; he'd have to come up with better ways other than having you try to seduce me," he growled as he pushed her out of his way.

Opening the trailer room door, Fuji stepped in and shut the door behind him.

Hopefully that would get rid of that idiot Sanatsu.

He knew that she was smart enough to know better than to try and get another shot at outsmarting him out of his career when he had blackmail material in his cam.

Maybe he should put up the gossip-material picture of her on the impetuous, all-knowing medium called the internet? Her fans would probably love to see her picture with her only in her underthings while her eagle-eyed critics would pry on this fresh and juicy scandal.

Maybe he could tip the paparazzi all over it just to see her tortured all the more. It would certainly send the entire world community abuzz for some time. It would probably even get her to put a stop to her scheming plots; maybe even disgrace and humiliate her to the point that it would put an end to her pesky annoyances and career – if he were lucky enough.

Ooooh. That would most certainly be nice. Without Sanatsu around, his life would be saved a world less of troubles; sprinkle his existence with some peace and quiet.

And kami, how he needed some of that peace and quiet right now!

Plopping on to the couch, Fuji cringed as his thoughts shifted from Sanatsu to what had happened on the set a moment earlier.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

He had already memorized every word, every single line in the script by heart. He could go through the entire plot knowing each and every minute detail forwards and backwards without a single error. He had practiced and rehearsed the whole damn thing months before the shooting. Hanazawa Rui was practically a part of him already! Not many actors could achieve that state and become the character they were to play but Fuji could and he was more than ready to become the character of a devastated Rui in the shoji scene.

But when he slid open the shoji door props and entered the room he caught a glimpse outside the room window.

He couldn't move.

Their eyes connected for a fraction of a second; chestnut brown met cerulean blue, and Fuji felt his body freeze in electrified shock.

It couldn't be _**her**_! It just couldn't be!

It was impossible. Every rational synapse of his brain told him so. There was absolutely no way that she could be _**her**_. Maybe she was just a crew member who coincidentally had some of _**her **_features.

Or….maybe she was just an illusion. A hallucination born out of his anxiety and stress in the hustle and bustle of his movie star life and of course the added nuisances of Sanatsu Minichi. That idiot fly was constantly grating on his nerves after all.

Fuji sighed.

It had been five, no, eight years since….since the incident and still, here he was, still hallucinating about her.

A great deal of unrelieved stress must have been welling up inside of him.

Closing his eyes, Fuji decided that he'd really have to find a way to get rid of that Sanatsu for good. Life would be a whole lot better that way.

All of the sudden, Fuji heard the door creak open.

He tightened his eyes shut and groaned.

"Go away Amniboshi."

"Ahuh. Right. Like that's going to make me walk out this door," the agent rolled his eyes. "So this is where you've been hiding. I've been looking everywhere for you, you know. Kami, can't you just make things easier for me?"

Fuji groaned again.

When Amniboshi said things like 'looking', 'everywhere' and 'you', that meant things didn't look too bright for him, and Fuji definitely did not like extra work loads.

"What is it now this time?" his voice came out hostile and cold.

"What is it? Ugh, no wonder you former agent Akira-san quit on the job," Amniboshi grumbled. "Didn't you remember it at all? At exactly 11:05 you're doing a press conference for your role in the movie 'Hitoriki'! It's already 10:45! You're still in your hakama costume, for crying outloud. Where's your make-up artist and dresser?"

"Oh, do you mean that idiot Koko-san? I fired her."

"You what?! What the –why?!" shouted Amniboshi at the top of his lungs.

Lazily, the actor sat up and stared into his agent's eyes with an intensely annoyed look.

"Saa, do you want to be next? Look, I needed a make-up artist who wasn't a fangirl. You got her for me, remember? I told you, I need the best people at what they do, not some screeching fangirl who goes into 'shrieky mode' whenever they just dab make-up on me. Always keep that in mind," he said in a cool clear voice that bordered between a cold threat and an edgy command. "Now get out. I need to get ready. I'll be out in five minutes."

The agent just shook his head and stepped out of the room.

Luckily, both agent and actor made it to the conference in the nick of time. Standing right outside the door of the conference hall, Fuji took a moment to brace himself.

"Did you make sure no fangirls could get inside?" he turned to Amniboshi. The agent shook his head.

"Only one representative of each magazine and tv station are allowed to get in."

Fuji opened the door and stepped into the room. Brilliant lights flashed all around along with the audible sound of clicking. Torrents of questions were being hurled up at him as he began walking up the platform. Amniboshi had to personally settle down the crowd before walking back and taking his place next to Fuji who glanced down at the crowd of representatives and snorted.

Paparazzi.

"Alright, alright, please minna, we will start if you guys all settle down and relax," the agent spoke into the microphone. "Fuji-san's time is very limited, so please remember, one question at a time only. If you do not choose to cooperate, then I am sad to say we will have to escort you out of the building. Two guards have been put up there at the end of the room for that purpose. I hope we have come to an understanding, minna."

Instantly, all the clicking cameras came to a halt and the room quieted down.

Fuji's face tugged up into a smug smirk.

Obviously, Amniboshi had been hired for a very, very good reason.

"Well then, I think we can start. Question number one please."

A Japan Celebrity Inc. representative raised her hand. A smile tapered across her face when Fuji nodded for her to go on.

"Anou, Fuji-sama, why did you choose 'Hitoriki'? I mean, recently many movie producers and directors have been offering you roles in their films, some films international ones at that, but despite that fact you choose 'Hitoriki' over all of them. Why?"

The acclaimed actor opened his mouth to answer but then his body froze in on him again. Fuji felt that something wrong was going to happen, something terribly wrong. There and then, just at that exact moment, four masked men barged right into the room. They wore rich designer clothes and carried high caliber pistols and silencers that send nearly everyone into a frenzy,

One of the four assailants, a broad, sturdy looking man shot down all four surveillance cameras in the room while two others blocked the door and pointed their guns at the crowd who cowered at the sound of the ripping shots.

"Everyone get down on the floor right now!" shouted the little athletic-looking man in the center. His stature and physique among the four intruders made him seem like the head of the renegades. The other three didn't seem to flounce him. Though he spoke in clear English with a heavy British accent inside the room filled with Japanese people, it was clear that everyone could understand him lucidly and no one would dare to disobey.

Well, almost everyone.

"Hmmm, you're just as obstinate as they say, Fuji Syuusuke," sneered the ring leader. " But being obstinate won't get you anywhere with us. Boys, get him."

"Fuji, Fuji! Get down!" Amniboshi tried to yank him down, "Do you want to get yourself killed?"

The movie actor winced and pushed the agent away as soon as he saw two of the armed men nearing the platform.

"They're after me; not you or anyone else Amniboshi," he said.

"But - ,"

"Look, they'll leave everyone alone if I go with them. Don't think I don't know about your daughter. You have to take care of her," Fuji retorted quietly.

He remembered the time he caught Amniboshi sneaking outside the studio during the dress rehearsal of 'Hitoriki'. He was going to make his presence known and give the agent a nice little word on when he heard the agent on the phone trying to explain to his little girl how her 'dada' had to come home later than expected. Fuji frowned but walked away. He would have never known that Amniboshi had a family had he not snuck up on him like that.

All Fuji wanted to do now was to know with absolutely certainty that that girl wasn't going to be left fatherless today. Not on his watch.

Fuji turned his eyes away from Amniboshi towards the blonde ringleader who was waving his guns menacingly at the reporters, scaring them out of their wits. He didn't even have the miniscule grain of decency to leave the women out of it. For heaven's sake, didn't the guy think they just might have families waiting for them to return home unfazed? Families who would be torn in despair if they never did?

"Fuji-san, you're coming with us," one of the men aimed the gun point blank at his chest. Fuji glared at the two and made no effort to move.

"Come on, don't make this any harder on yourself, or your sister," said the other man.

"My sister's dead. She died a long time ago with – Ugh! What do you want with me? If you need only me, then leave everyone else in the room alone. They shouldn't be a part of this!"

"We will – only if you come with us quietly," answered the ring leader.

Fuji nodded his head. He took a single step.

And then, it happened again.

He froze.

After that everything happened so quickly.

He heard the sound of balls rolling on the floor, saw clouds of an unknown gas fill up the room, saw people dropping down onto the cold, hard floor. His eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and though he didn't want to, his body was slowly succumbing to the light- headed, puffy, enticing whispers of sleep.

He was going to do just that – collapse on the floor – like all the rest of them when he felt an arm catch him and pull a mask down on his face. He could breathe fresh air again, but there was no time for him to think.

Everything just went too fast for his system; his head was still groggy and somehow someone had a firm grasp on his hand and was pulling him down the hall.

"Ugh, stop," he groaned through the mask.

He winced his eyes at his kidnapper. His vision was still blurry. He couldn't be sure if the person dragging him was a either a man or a woman even; though he really believed it to be a man. He furrowed his brow when his eyes began to clear.

"Eh?! You're, you're a woman? Hey! Wait! Why are we going down the fire exit?"

She didn't bother to answer and yanked him when he refused to budge.

Fuji wondered if they were really going down the stairs. They were up the thirty-sixth floor. It was a long way down the studio building.

To his surprise, the woman pulled him up along the railing of the stairs with her. She didn't even bother to look back at him when she wrapped his arms tightly around her abdomen so that he was leaning onto her back. Fuji felt heat creeping up his face; though as he had noticed earlier, she was almost entirely wrapped in a fitting black suit from head to toe with a black mask covering her head. It was the complete opposite of what women usually would dress in to make themselves more 'trimmed down'. She pulled on his eyes tighter.

"Hold on, or you might fall," she said in a slick sort of voice.

Wait – that voice! Sure, it had dropped a few baritones but there was no doubting that voice belonged to –

"What the ̶ whoa!!"

In a matter of a few minutes they had whizzed down to the parking basement. His captress put her feet on the floor gently just as the railing ended and then stepped away so that Fuji fell from the railing of the last step flat on his butt.

"Ouch! Hey, what was that for?!"

"I told you to hold on," she laughed.

"These babies are jet propelled," she touched her heels.

Suddenly, they heard an explosion and the sound of the alarm going off. The woman grunted.

"Damn, they woke up already. Come on, hurry up! We don't have time to lose!" She grabbed his arm and they ran across the parking lot towards a shiny silver Lamborghini 290, the latest model in its design. Fuji tried to struggle before she could push him into the backseat of the car, but she was too strong and skilled for him to handle.

"Why am I even supposed to let you take me anywhere, huh? And where the hell are we going?" he demanded as he tried in vain to open the door.

The woman just popped in the keys into the engine and drove off. However, just before they reached the parking lot check point, the sound of bullets skidding were heard from the back of the Lamborghini. Fuji flinched. He looked back to find all of the four men from earlier shooting out all their weaponry at them.

Great. Just great.

"That's why," she retorted. "Do you get the point now? Stay with them, you die, stay with me, you live. It's as simple as that."

Just as they were curbing into the free way, Fuji heard the roar of engines and looked out the car window. This time his four pursuants were on the high speed wheels of four motorcycles and they had just caught up with them. His lady kidnapper-slash-rescuer (he really didn't know which she was anymore) hissed in utter annoyance.

"Sheesh. These people are just too persistent. Hold on tight, Fuji-kun. Put on your seatbelt. We're in for a rough ride."

Fuji's cerulean eyes widened for a fraction.

"Wait, did you just call me Fuji-ku – ,"

"Put on your seatbelt NOW!"

Fuji strapped the safety harness into place just in time for her to press on the pedal and whiz past the two motorcycles that were about to ram into the car. So now, instead, the two crammed into each other and Fuji noted the resounding crash and trail of smoke left behind.

"Good. Only two more left," she said.

Her eyes suddenly went wide.

"DUCK!" she screamed.

A rain of heavy bullets crackled through the air and shattered glass cut through his skin.

"Damn," he grunted as he crouched lower.

"Anou, ne, sorry about that. …Hang on, I'll try to lose them," said the woman. Stepping on the accelerator, she cut in between cars and lanes, moving faster so they wouldn't catch up but the men pursuing them were very, very persistent. Her lips thinned when she saw a glimpse of them reflected in the side mirror.

These men wanted to play hard ball, huh?

She'd give them hard ball.

Somehow they had made it up a bridge while they were on the chase and the woman gave a small smirk. She gripped on the clutch.

"Brace yourself for a high jump!" she shouted over.

"What the –,"

The car tore right through the railing and the fell right down on the pavement of the road below it.

"Are you insane? You could've gotten both of us killed!" frowned the brunette, "That overpass bridge was 60 ft. high. We could've been squished by now! And you were lucky we didn't land on another car!"

Fuji still felt the impact of the fall and he hissed at the added pressure it had on his wounds. His lady captor jammed open the headboard and turned around to face him for a moment.

"Eto…Here, take these bandages…." she handed him a box.

Fuji took the bandages and tried to look into her eyes but she hastily turned away back to the steering wheel.

"We need to move out of here. They could catch up on us, and that would not be a very pleasant encounter, ne Fuji-kun," she said as she stepped on the gas.

Fuji-kun!

She called him Fuji-kun for the second time already!

Did this mean that –

"Ugh! Be careful!" yelled the brunette as he picked himself back up the seat. "At the speed you're going, I could be stuck in the hospital forever! I'm an actor, not a stunt prop!"

Fuji could only growl as she continued zigzagging across lanes. Whatever rational thought he had earlier about his captress's familiar aura and Fuji-kun – calling habit astoundingly dissipated throughout the ride as his head lingered on only one singe thought: how to survive a car ride with a driver like her.

He practically thanked kami-sama when the car pulled up in front of a n old subway train station.

"Hayaku! We have to go!" she yanked him out of the car and literally dragged him off his feet.

Running alongside his captress who held on to him with a vice-like grip, Fuji found himself being shoved behind a column of the train station and being pushed up against the column wall. The loud thunderous clap of a bomb going off crackled through the air as smoke and fire clashed into the station entryway. Fuji could hear the metallic screeches of the car as it flip-flopped in the air due to the power of the blast.

Another explosion whipped from inside the station and his captress peeped from behind the column before letting him go.

"Are you alright? How are the bandages?" she inspected his cuts.

"They're fine," he glanced away from her as he stepped away from the column.

His eyes went wide when they came in contact with the supposed station entryway. It seemed as if the explosion had sent the entire entry crumbling down, filling it up with debris and blocking them inside. There was no other way out but to take a train – if there were any trains around. Hardly anyone ever came to this old subway station anymore and trains probably wouldn't care to waste their time stopping at a station with no one around.

Fuji eyed the woman next to him warily.

She had purposefully planned this all along, hadn't she?

She knew that by jumping the car off the bridge, she'd damage the vehicles gas tank just enough so that with a little speed and friction it would explode by the time they reached this station. She knew that it would bring the entryway down so that he'd have no other way to run.

Now that the adrenaline had died down and bullets no longer threatened to cut through him, Fuji was seriously beginning to doubt her intentions of bringing him here.

He wondered why he had trusted her so easily when he didn't even know who she was, or what she wanted from him. Maybe it was because she felt so familiar to him, maybe it was because of that aura of concern she had for him. She reminded him of _**her**_, but still, there was no reason to believe that this woman was not dangerous.

She probably had half a dozen guns hidden there, somewhere.

The woman was fidgeting with a gadget (kami knows what it was….) with eerie concentration and Fuji saw this as an opportunity to slip away. The dark train tunnels were his only route of escape, but he'd have to take his chances. The brunette sidestepped closer and closer to the tracks while she seemed to be preoccupied; hoping that somehow she'd be so busy she wouldn't notice him making a run for it.

However, before he could jump down on the tracks, a steel grip held on his shoulders.

"Damn," he cussed under his breath as he struggled in vain in her clutches.

The woman sighed and shook her head.

"Fuji-kun, why are you running away? I'm the one trying o help you out here," she pinned both of his hands in front of him as he continued to wriggle helplessly. "Please, onegai, stop it! You're only hurting yourself!"

Cerulean eyes glared down at her, orbs filled with defiance.

"Let go of me! How do I know if you really are here to help me out at all? Huh? I don't even know who you are, or what you want from me – so just. Let. Me .Go!"

Thud.

Somehow Fuji had managed to push his captress away; unfortunately for him she grabbed his arm just before the fall and he came tumbling down on the floor along with her.

It was a very good escape method really.

Groaning, Fuji opened his eyes to find he had fallen in a very becoming fashion atop her. His body was pressing down on her taunt petite frame while one of his hands tried to lift off some of his weight from her; his other hand, he noticed hat taken hold of her mask which must have come off during the fall. His face was millimeters away from hers and – oh my…kami.

Suddenly, everything began to click into place. Her familiar aura, her habit of calling him Fuji-kun, her oh-so recognizable voice.

She had become more beautiful – very, very beautiful.

"Sakuno," his breath hitched across her face, "Ryuuzaki Sakuno."

The brunette could feel this innate sense of joy flowing through him as he continued staring into her gorgeous chestnut brown eyes. And as he peered down into her soul, he couldn't help but feel that everything about this moment could have been perfect.

There was only one problem though.

Besides the fact that they were down in a subway, this moment just couldn't be real.

Because Ryuuzaki Sakuno had died eight years ago in car explosion alongside with his sister.

This could only be an illusion – a figment of his imagination.

"Ne, Fuji-kun, are you alright?" his hallucination whispered.

She involuntarily licked her lips and Fuji felt something inside of him snap. Ehhh. He didn't care any longer if this could just be an illusion, that his captress wasn't Sakuno-chan at all and that he was just imagining that she was. To him right now, she was alive in his eyes and he would make the best of it.

Gently, with both his hands, Fuji took hold of her face in a gentle caress and watched her eyes widen in surprise.

"Fuji-kun what are you – mmph."

Kami. Could illusions ever taste this good?

Pressing his lips down on hers once more, Fuji relished in its softness and sweet cherry flavor. Pulling away the brunette suddenly felt something hard hit across his stomach.

Everything went black.

* * *

_At first, he was shrouded in darkness but when he blinked his eyes open Fuji found himself inside a car that was speeding along the road. His sister was on the wheel, honking at a truck that just wouldn't let them through. _

"_Syuusuke," she turned to him, "What time is it already?"_

"_Saa," he flicked his wrist, "It's already 12:50."_

"_What?" he heard surprised feminine voice ring from the backseat. Looking up into the mirror, Fuji chuckled to see the surprised reflection of a distraught Ryuuzaki Sakuno looking back at him. _

"_Why? Is that a problem, Sakuno-chan?"_

"_Eto…..not really….demo the train leaves at one and…." mumbled the girl, looking down at her lap._

_The brunette smiled and shook his head. This girl was hopeless, even though she was already sixteen years old._

"_I was just kidding, Sakuno-chan. Check the time on your cellphone."_

"_Ehhh! It's still 12:25! Mou, you tricked me again, Fuji-kun!" she pouted at him._

_Fuji grinned while he noticed his dear Yumiko-neesan shake her head disapprovingly at him. He quirked his eyebrows upward._

"_Syuusuke, you should really learn how to stop teasing others. It really isn't nice you know."_

"_Ahh, of course. That's why I'm going to make it up to her, right Sakuno-chan?"_

"_What do you mean Fuji-kun?"_

"_Close your eyes."_

"_Why? Demo, I'm not….a child anymore…."_

"_Please."_

_Smilingly, Fuji twisted his torso to face the girl who had closed her eyes obediently. Gently, the brunette placed his gift of repentance on the girl's lap and told her to open her eyes. _

_It was a small velvety red rectangular box laced with a pink ribbon – her favorite color of course – and a note on the side that read 'To my dearest Sakuno-chan'. Sakuno stared down at the box and then looked up at its giver with her trademark blush gracing the smile on her face, showing just how abashed she was. _

"_Anou, Fuji-kun…I don't know what to say…..um…arigatou…ne," she turned maroon. _

_Fondly, the girl looked at the note. _

"_Can I open it?"_

"_Go ahead Sakuno-chan."_

_Fuji watched the girl twine her small dainty fingers around the ribbon. It was funny how his dearest kouhai could be so graceful in the little things despite her outstanding trait of clumsiness. _

_Saa. _

_It made her all the more endearing. _

_Slowly, Sakuno opened the box to find ……a nice written note?_

"_Ehehehehe, Sakuno-chan," chuckled the tensai heartily, "Don't you think the moment just before you leave the station would be a better time to give you the gift?"_

_Twisting back in his seat, Fuji smiled sheepishly at his sister who just frowned at him and then focused back to driving on the road. He could imagine Sakuno pouting in the backseat. Fuji held back a laugh. When would the girl learn? Fuji was always so full of surprises – he was a sadist after all. She should have gotten that drilled into her head after living with him and his family ever since Ryuuzaki-sensei died three years ago._

_Yes . Ryuuzaki Sakuno had been living with him for three years already. _

_Well, she could have done well on her own. Her parents had been very wealthy when they left her an orphan to be cared for by Sumire and just before her grandmother joined them, she gave the girl full responsibility and holdership to the account they left her in the bank. However, Ryuuzaki-sensei, being the woman that she was, just couldn't leave her granddaughter unattended. She needed someone she could trust to watch over the girl. _

_There weren't any relatives living close by; the nearest aunt that they could think of was a hundred miles away in Nagasaki. Tezuka was in Germany, Ryoma was off somewhere to train for his second grandslam title, and all the other regulars were just too busy. _

_That left it all up to Fuji who, as a matter of fact, volunteered to take Sakuno-chan in the first place. _

_He just couldn't leave his coach's mago-chan to fend for herself in a cold harsh world when he owed a lot to Ryuuzaki-sensei. He had learned a lot from the fierce woman and energetic old woman, he couldn't disrespect her by leaving Sakuno-chan on her own. Besides, she was a rather pretty little mouse and he loved teasing her and making her squirm. It was rather amusing._

_At first, Fuji believed that those were the only reasons he had wanted to keep an eye out for Sakuno but after a few months he go to know he….and well….everything changed after that. _

_She had plopped into a special place inside of him. _

_Fuji even wanted to protect her more than he wanted to take care of Yuuta (He'd never admit it to Yuuta though.) and he wanted to be there for her, always. _

_She was just so different from other girls. She was naïve, an open book free for the reading and oh-so honest with all her feelings. When she was happy she radiated a glow of warmth, when she was embarrassed she wouldn't hesitate to blush, when she was sad she wouldn't hold back the tears from brimming in her eyes. Fuji always felt so intrigued by her. Normally, people had masks to cover themselves up to avoid getting hurt, but she, she was innocence in its purest form and it hurt Fuji to see her hurt in any way. _

_The first few weeks of her stay were admittedly were the hardest. Sakuno was still mourning for her grandmother and though she stopped donning the traditional black mourning clothes, it showed in the way she moved and behaved. She'd clam up more than she used to, trip on things more than she would like and get lost more often than enough._

_It made the entire Fuji family worry excessively for the girl – Fuji Syuusuke most especially._

_To remedy the situation, the brunette lad would act as the girl's personal escort. He would bring Sakuno to ice cream shops after he dragged her along with him to his tennis matches and practices, buy her stuffed toys on occasion, have lunch with her on the rooftop and fetch her right after class. _

_Momo and Eiji would constantly tease him about it but Fuji didn't mind. It amused him how Sakuno would blush and stutter whenever they did and then he'd have to hold her hand just a little bit tighter to reassure her that everything would be alright. _

_On weekends, whenever he wasn't preoccupied with his chores, homework, or tennis, he would take Sakuno out somewhere nice to have fun or help her with her own homework. Yumiko would complain to him constantly, bantering about how cruel he was for stealing the girl away from her. She never really had had a younger sister and it annoyed her on ends that whenever she wasn't busy doing extra work for her job, her younger brother would take Sakuno away from her. Yumiko loved yanking the girl into shopping sprees, girl talks, and cook-outs whenever she had the free time; which also consequently left the least amount of time for Yuuta to spend with Sakuno whose crème brulee packs and sushi rolls he had come to love. _

_In time with the loving care of the entire Fuji family and the special attention of Fuji Syuusuke, the doe-eyed girl began to move past her sorrows and grievances. Not only that, but it also brought our sadistic tensai and bashful little blusher closer; much, much closer. _

"_Well, minna, we've arrived at the station. Time to get off," said Yumiko as she steered the car into a parking space by the sidewalk. _

_Fuji got out of the car, grabbed Sakuno's luggage from the back and then opened Sakuno's side just before she could do it herself._

"_Saa, Sakuno-chan, don't you want to get your present? Let's go."_

"_Hai, Fuji-kun!" she answered. _

_Sakuno stepped out of the car and Yumiko was about to do the same after shutting down the gas when all of the sudden her phone rang. Yumiko rummaged through her bag and put her phone to her ear. _

"_Moshimoshi? Nani…anou...hai, hai. For a moment, sir," she looked at the two, "Ne, it's my boss. Syuusuke please take Sakuno-chan inside the station. I'll be there in a couple of minutes."_

_Nodding his head, the tensai led the girl up the steps towards the station entryway, one hand lifting the luggage with the other wrapped around her shoulders protectively. _

"_Sakuno-chan, don't you think we should hurry up a little bit? Saa, the faster you leave now the faster you'll get back. There's so many people who simply just cant live without you. There's Yumiko-neesan, Yuuta…there's me…and oh…Okasada-san. Your bestfriend would go mad without you around to talk to for advice," said Fuji. "And I don't think Okasada-san would like me as your substitute. It's more fun for me to see her shout at poor litte Horio-san than making up with him."_

_Looking up at him, Sakuno gave a reassuring smile._

"_Anou…I'm sure everyone's going to be fine without me, Fuji-kun. The cooking seminar won't take too long though…and anou…I made Horio-san promise me that he'd be good to Tomoka-chan. Daijoubo, daijoubo. Besides….eto…I'll be calling her from time to time so – "_

"_Saa, what about me, Sakuno-chan? Saa, don't tell me you're forgetting your poor Fuji-kun?" Fuji faked a pout as his eyes connected with hers._

"_Ehh! Of course not! Mou…Fuji-kun, you know I always call you!" the girl blushed a deep maroon in embarrassment, "Eto…I mean that…."_

"_It's fine Sakuno-chan," chuckled the tensai. "Come on, let's get inside now and set your things down so we can wait for Yumiko-neesan to get here."_

_The two entered the station. _

_It was rather quiet and all of the benches were empty and vacant. 12:00 – 1:00 pm was definitely the best time to travel by train. _

_Setting the luggage down on a bench, Fuji sat down and patted the spot next to him for Sakuno to take. Facing the brunette as she sat down next to him, the girl blushed a light shade of red._

"_Anou, arigatou ne, Fuji-kun. The luggage must have been rather heavy," she thanked._

"_Betsuni. It was nothing," Fuji waved his hand away. "Saa, how many weeks will the seminar take?"_

"_Anou…two…"_

"_Two? That's a rather long time," muttered the brunette quietly. "Are you ready? Did you bring everything that you need? Did you pack the map, cellphone and the emergency numbers….Saa, maybe I should come along with you Sakuno-chan. Tokyo is a very big place, saa."_

"_Mou, Fuji-kun," squeaked the girl, "I'll be fine, really. Anou…I'm old enough to go on my own…and besides I'll be with the Cooking club, so you don't have to worry! Anou…if you come with me….what will happen to that audition for that movie role Yumiko-neesan wanted you to try out for?"_

_Fuji's lips turned up slightly into a smile as he gazed down at the girl next to him. _

_The chances of her getting lost in Tokyo were high, but she wasn't worrying over herself. She was worrying over him._

_Sighing, the brunette shook his head._

"_Well, then, you must promise me something Sakuno-chan," the tensai said quietly._

_Getting up, Fuji held out his hand for the girl to take. Sakuno put her small hand in his and stood up, her eyes filled with questions. _

"_What is it Fuji-kun?"_

_Looking at her, Fuji took hold of both her hands and held them in front of him. _

_Kami, he had to admit this girl was beautiful both body and soul._

"_Sakuno-chan, promise me that you'll be careful; that you'll take care of yourself. Promise me that you'll come back to me safe and sound. If something ever happens to you, I don't know what I would do….I….."_

"_I promise," she promised, arms draped around his neck as he face turned maroon. "Anou, everything's going to be fine, Fuji-kun. I'll be good…I promise." _

_Nodding his head, Fuji smiled and wrapped his own arms around her waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Hmmm. Sakuno seemed daring today, but for one, Fuji had no qualms with it at all. He liked this…it felt so…it felt so right. _

_Courageously, the shy and reserved Sakuno looked up at the tensai; her face burning as she gulped._

"_I…eto…I was just thinking…Fuji-kun," she spoke softly, "I mean…anou…you're always worrying about others…demo you hardly think about yourself, Fuji-kun…For three years you've been taking care of me and you hardly had the time for yourself. So….I want you to promise me something too….anou, if you don't mind…that is."_

"_Of course Sakuno-chan. I don't mind."_

"_Anou…when I leave…I want you to have fun, Fuji-kun. Go to the audition with Yumiko-nee, play tennis to your heart's content and do anything that you want to do. Please….do it for me."_

"_I promise," he said solemly. _

_The girl smiled in understanding and untwined her arms, letting go of her hold onhim._

"_So," she looked at her watch, "It's already eighteen minutes to one….I better get ready."_

"_Wait."_

"_What---anou…"_

_Holding up another velvet box, the tensai smirked._

_With hesitant hands, Sakuno opened the box to find a diamond ring hung on a silver necklace._

_Sakuno gasped._

_The gem was beautiful. It was cut into the shape of a daisy; its facets sparkled when held against the light. The silver band that held the jewel in place was no less beautiful with its intricate cottiers lined with smaller pieces of diamond._

_Sakuno blinked her eyes in disbelief, caught speechless._

"_Here," he took hold of the necklace, "Let me put it on you."_

_Clicking the necklace into place, the tensai spun her to face him so that he could look at her. It was perfect. She was perfect. Suddenly Fuji could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest as his blood raced around his body. He couldn't hear anything else . He couldn't see anything else but his hear and her. Without even thinking, Fuji bent his head, his face centimeters away from hers._

"_Sakuno, I lo – "_

"_Eto! Um….eto…sumimasen! I – I – for a moment – I think I need to check on Yumiko-neesan...anou..sumimasen Fuji-kun!"_

_Groaning, Fuji rubbed his temple as he watched Sakuno scamper off. Ugh! What had he been thinking of? It still wasn't the right time to tell her! He was planning to take it slow – but then – Ugh! _

_Slamming down on the bench, the eighteen year old tensai hunched over as he thought about what to do. Then, all of the sudden, amidst the turmoil rampaging in his mind, Fuji felt a freezing cold feeling wash over him, warning him that something just wasn't right._

_And then he heard the explosion._

"_Sakuno!"_

* * *

"Sakuno…." He groaned. H e had dreamed about what had happened eight years ago…again. Sigh. He guessed he could never really forget it, even the tiniest little details.

The tensai rubbed his eyes awake and inspected his surroundings. Getting up, Fuji found that he had been lying down for quite some time on an empty seat in the train. The cart he was in was obviously empty. There weren't any other passengers around.

Sighing, he put his hand to his stomach and winced.

Someone had punched him in the gut.

But who?

All he could remember was Amniboshi, the press conferece, four men trying to kill him, the woman who abducted him…. Oh, yeah, she seemed to look a lot like Sakuno and he had kissed her. Maybe she was the cause of the bluish-black mark on his abdomen.

But then again, it must have been all a bad dream. There was just no way she could be Sakuno. Someone must have gotten him really, really drunk to make him end up like this. There were a few bandages on his arms, and by golly, his head hurt like hell.

Fuji stood up and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Am I still dreaming?"

"No you aren't," sighed the woman who stood across the aisle. "No matter how many times you pinch yourself, you'll find that you are very, very much awake. So, how are you doing Fuji-kun? Does it still hurt?"

Fuji edged back in his seat and winced at the pain.

"I – I'm sorry I gutted you like that," she said in a whisper as she took the seat facing him. " I was just surprised, that's all. But you're awake now, so I guess I can start asking you things. There are so many things I need to clear up and –"

"Okay, okay, just stop right there," ordered Fuji. "I'm the one who gets to ask first. First off – are you….are you really Ryuuzaki Sakuno….granddaughter of Seishun Gakuen tennis coach Ryuuzaki Sumire?"

"Hai."

"But-but-" Fuji choked as his eyes widened. No this couldn't be—

"What's the matter?"

"But Ryuuzaki Sakuno died eight years ago with my sister in a car explosion!"

Frowning, the girl furrowed her brows and slapped him lightly on his arm.

"Excuse me, but that's not a very polite thing to say to this pretty lady sitting across you! Die? Eto…you must have gotten your story wrong. For three years I lived alone after my grandmother died and I was doing really, really fine. But then my cooking club had this seminar and in the parking lot of the train station, just before I was about to leave, I nearly go myself killed in an explosion made by a terrorist attack. That was when Yumiko-neesan and Naru-kun found me. Naru is the Head of the National Security of Japan, so he took me in and made me his protégé, an agent."

Fuji stared at her in disbelief.

"I am Agent 101, Ryuuzaki Sakuno. Your sister Yumiko-neesan is very close to me and she entrusted me with the task of taking you to her now that her dilemma is squeezing in on her on all sides. She has mentioned you to me countless of times before. It is an honor to meet you. Hajimemashite, Fuji Syuusuke," she bowed her head low. "Now that we've had our introduction and I've told you everything you want to know, it's your turn up the table. Shall we begin?"

Oh kami….what was happening to him?

* * *

Japanese Terms

Minna – everyone

Arigatou – thank you

Sumimasen – excuse me

Anou – a term used to mean something like – "ummm…"

Hai – yes

Iie – no

Daijoubo – it's alright.

Mago-chan – granddaughter

Obaasan – grandmother

Hajimemashite – term used when meeting someone for the first time

Suffixes

-kun - a term used by girls to address a boy who is close to her

-san – a term used to address a person who is not that close to you

-neesan – term used when one is addressing an older sister

* * *

**A/N: **Hello minna! Yes I'm back….oh and yeah I've missed you all sooo much! Life has been so busy for me that I haven't been here in a really long time already. Mou. I feel like crying. .

Anyway, This story is somewhat of a rewritten version of the other spy story I made earlier "In an Undercover Romance" , however you'll find that there are some twists here and there to the plot. I found out that the first version just didn't suit well to my tastes anymore so I decided to make a better version and viola, here it is!

I hope you liked it! :D

Ehehehe…anyway, if you're all wondering why Fuji and Sakuno seem so OOC-ish, that's because of the things that happened to them. I mean, drastic events happened in their lives. For Fuji, he thought Sakuno, the person he fell in love with, had died. For Sakuno…well….she had to toughen up in her training as an agent. So there.

Well, there's more to the story than what meets the eye. I mean, did Sakuno really forget about what REALLY happened? What's with Yumiko? And why are there criminals going after Fuji?

Find out in the second chapter of Espionage 101!

Oh, and yes…please, review! Review, review, review! Good and bad reviews are accepted.

Thanks minna!

Sincerely,

Fuji's Girl


	2. Chapter 2 Running Reunions

**Espionage 101**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. I wish I did though. Sigh…..life's what it is.

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**A/N: **Hey minna! I'm so sorry it took me this long to post this up! I've been very busy at school. Heck, the institution is trying to kill me. It's my graduating year in high school and if third year was hell, I don't know what this year is. The month of August is our August Rush (projects to be passed, final exams and college admission tests…phew) and fourth year is quite a big distraction.

Anyway, at least I managed to get a little of this up and running now. Well, so without further ado, here is chapter 2 to Espionage 101. Enjoy!

PS: I think this is a little bit of a filler chapter….just to check out the new status of the relationship of the two. :D

Oh and I have included a new review box at the end of the chapter! Check it out, kay?

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**Chapter 2**

**Running Reunions**

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Fuji sighed deeply.

It had taken an hour before she had let him off the hook. Her interrogation made his head ache.

She asked about his age, occupation, birthday, middleschool, highschool, hobbies….the list went on and on. She asked about the most common details about his life as if – as if she hadn't known him at all.

Oh she could remember Ryoma and all of the rest of the Seigaku team – except him that is. When it came to him it seemed as if he had never existed at all, as if all the memories about him were nothing.

She had meant so much to him.

To think the woman he loved lost all memories about him was just downright painful. Gut-wrenching. Not only that but it seemed as if Sakuno had also completely changed along with the loss of her memories. The Ryuuzaki Sakuno he knew was shy, clumsy, naïve, and extremely cute. This Sakuno was the exact opposite. She was brave, quick on her feet, brilliant and oh so startlingly gorgeous.

She was definitely self-sufficient and did not need a knight-in-shining-armor. She was no longer the damsel in distress. He was.

Giving a side-glance at the woman next to him as she peered outside the window, Fuji shook his head as if to chide himself.

Sakuno was alive. That was all that mattered right now.

Turning to face him, the auburn head woman raised a brow.

"What is it Fuji-kun? Should I change your bandages right now? You don't look too good."

"No, no, it's nothing. I was just thinking."

"Anou, alright then. Suit yourself."

Silence enveloped the two of them.

For a time it went on like this until the door of the trailer creaked open. His eyes on his auburn head companion, Fuji watched as Sakuno's hand wandered to her side where her gun was strapped. Her hands worked the gun up and reloaded them as she gave a knowing nod to Fuji.

"Fuji-kun, when I give the cue I want you to run as fast as you can to the next trailer."

"But what about you? The trains moving and - "

"Listen to me Fuji-kun. This is for your sake. Just do it. Got that? Good."

With expertise, the woman held up the gun in front of her, her chestnut eyes ready for anything and everything.

One, two, three.

Bam.

The doors slammed open and in walked – a crying five-year old girl with her pyon-pyon teddy bear?

Letting out the gulp of air he had been holding, Fuji watched as Sakuno hurriedly hid the gun before the girl could see it and made her way to meet the crying toddler. Producing a handkerchief from her pocket, she knelt down and gently wipped the tears that were dripping down her cheeks.

"There, there. Now don't cry little one," she smiled gently as she patted the girl's head. "Anou, now tell me chibi-chan, what's the matter? Are you lost?"

Looking at the two of them interact, the tensai couldn't help but let the soft expression grow on his face.

No matter had happened, there were still some things about his beloved Sakuno-chan that would just never change.

"Are you lost chibi-chan? Did you get separated from your mother?" repeated Sakuno softly. Gingerly the little girl shook her head in response.

"Iie…anou…." she timidly shook her head again. A single tear dripped down her face. With one small chubby hand, she fisted out a large clump of tangled hair which was supposed to be the other missing twin braid that dangled at the back of her head.

"Anou….Onii-chan messed up my hair….he made fun of me.." the girl whimpered sadly as she tried to fix the messed-up braid. Giving up,she looked into Sakun's eyes, her face pleading desperately. "Eto, will you help me? Please?"

For a moment Fuji could see an unreadable expression skitter across Sakuno's face. Hurt, remorse, regret, realization….he couldn't really tell, but as quickly as it came the expression faded and Fuji watched her take hold of both of the girl's hands with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry chibi - chan. I'll get it fixed for you."

The auburnhead then quickly unknotted the child's clumpy hair, stroked her hair down with a brush and then weaved it back into a braid. Suddenly, the girls eyes widened in surprise and her mouth hung open. Sakuno frowned.

"Don't you like it?"

The girl continued staring past Sakuno, speechless.

"Chibi-chan?"

The girl finally broke out of her trance and spoke in her small childish, timid voice.

"It's just that…anou….is that really Fuji-chama…Neesan?"

Turning around to look at Fuji, Sakuno laughed.

"Why don't you go ask him?" she winked at the tensai. Taking the hint, Fuji nodded his head and smiled at the little thing that had tottered up in front of him. With all the courage she had, the little girl looked at Fuji straight in the eye with her teddy bear tucked underneath her chin and asked him if he was Fuji-chama, the one her older sister watched and talked about.

Fuji chuckled.

"Hai," he answered.

Normally, when someone would ask him if he were **THE **Fuji Syuusuke, the famous actor, he would give a big fat 'no'; especially if that someone were a fangirl. He abhorred fangirls. If he did tell the truth, then in a few seconds he'd find himself swimming in a sea of fans who would be ready to pick at him from limb to bone like rabid vultures.

Now, however, he would make an exception. It wasn't like the little girl was that dangerous now, was she?

"Honto? Really? You are?"

Fuji nodded his head.

"Hai, I am Fuji Syuusuke, Miss Kawaii," he plopped the girl onto his lap, "And you are?"

"Shiori! There you are!" a woman barged into their trailer. "Come over here! You shouldn't run away from me like that, Shiori! You made me worried you know!"

"Is this little girl your sister Miss?" asked Sakuno as she watched the little girl hop off of Fuji's lap and run towards the curly-haired woman's side.

"Yes she is. I can't thank you enough for watching over her. She ran away crying when her older brother teased her and I've been having trouble finding her."

"Ahh, don't worry about it," she answered with a slight wave of the hand. "We had a good time talking with each other. She's a sweet little girl."

Shiori smiled as she put her hand in her sister's happily. She held up her fixed-up braid proudly and her smile grew even warmer than before.

"Anou, look, look Neesan! My braid's fixed now!" she beamed, "And I even got to meet Fuji-chama!"

"Right Shiori, you met Fuji-sama," she gave a small laugh, "Come on, Kukai is waiting for us."

"It's true Neesan! I really did meet Fuji-chama! He's right over there!"

The woman looked over where Shiori was pointing.

Her reaction was unbelievable; First shock, then disbelief and then kabam, pure utter fangirlishness.

"Fuji-sama!"

Fuji didn't wait for more screaming to know that it was his cue to leave. If he didn't hit the pedal now a swarm of fangirls would soon be there.

Without a moment of hesitation, Fuji grabbed Sakuno's hand and ran for it.

"Let's go!"

* * *

The store, she had to say, was rather quiet inside.

It was the kind of no-other-customers around silence that gave the shop its gray mundane aura despite the number of bright and interesting objects that sat atop the shelves.

Still, the place had managed to entice the both of them to enter and Sakuno noted with indifference that they seemed to be the only ones in the shop. Looking for the shop owner, the auburnhead drummed her fingers impatiently across the counter.

"It's rather quiet around here," mussed Fuji openly. "There might not anyone around, Sakuno-chan."

Sakuno shook her head and continued rapping her fingers on the glass pane.

"No, I can feel the shop owner's presence behind that door," she said. "We should wait. There isn't any better shop for us than this. Without anyone else around, there won't be any fangirl to interfere any longer."

Fangirls.

Sakuno fisted her hand so hard until her knuckles looked deathly white.

Thinking of the fangirl-chase that sent them running earlier made her feel…..irritated.

For a half a mile they were chased by dangerous civilians and she couldn't even try getting back at them. Well, of course that was against the rules and normally Sakuno wouldn't even consider hurting a civilian, even if it would be accidental. It was off her list of morals.

However, this kind of girls seemed to be determined to catch Fuji and rip them, no scratch that, rip _**her**_ apart. While chasing them down the train and every square inch of pavement, the girls were every bit intent on hurtling out the most horrid names to Sakuno while they lovingly expressed their devotion to their superstar idol Fuji.

To them she was a thief, a slanderous bitch, an imbecile – he name calling went on and on.

To them she didn't deserve to be with the tensai, or to even run alongside him while he held her hand.

Their hatred for her seemed to rage in their eyes and burn in their very souls. The fangirls thought that Fuji holding her hand while they ran away from them made her his girlfriend. They did not like that.

In their opinion, Fuji was theirs and belonged to no other.

Obsession to this level was not healthy. They were insane.

Easing up a bit, the agent gave a sympathetic glance towards the man Yumiko-neesan had asked her to bring along. Despite Fuji's fame and popularity, he had to suffer this kind of torment and had to put up with it as his career grew.

Poor, poor, Fuji-kun.

"Ne, Sakuno-chan," he approached with a snow globe in his hand, " What are we supposed to do here again?"

Pointing over to the highest shelf, Sakuno tilted her head over to a head manikin on the top.

"If we are to get to your sister's location in time, then we don't need any more interferences," answered the woman. "That black wig would do us some good in getting there."

With that she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out for the shop keeper.

A moment later, an old lady with graying hair tied in a bun and in a wiry silk kimono came out of the stock room.

"Oh," she walked up to the counter, "Finally customers! The days have been rather quiet these past few months. To see you two darlings brings joy to this old woman's soul! Now tell me – oh, oh, oh! This is my lucky day! Even more customers!"

The wooden wind chimes clanged with the sound of the opening door and Sakuno could hear the clacks of several shoes across the tiled floor along with the squealing voices that could only be from a large group of girls.

Wait, a group of girls? Sakuno had a bad feeling about this.

Peering into a mirror at the end of the room which angle of reflection showed the door, the auburnhead threw her hands over her head in exasperation.

Fangirls.

Again.

Sakuno groaned. There was no other way out of the place except through that door. Unfortunately, some of the fangirls were there at the very same spot while the rest were approaching the counter to speak with the owner of the store.

No. She did not want to bump into THEM again.

"Anou, obaasan, could we use your stock room for a moment?"

"The store room? But why, I must ask young one?" the old woman spoke apprehensively.

"Please Baasan. We can't let them see us together," Sakuno begged. "Please."

"Us?" Fuji raised a brow quizzically.

Looking at the two, the old lady finally eased up and gave a couple of giggles which she tried to hide under the sleeve of her kimono.

"Ah, I can see it right now. Young love, young love. Well then, get inside," she opened the store room door. "I am a romantic after all. I cannot bear to see such a well-matched couple torn apart by jealous outsiders."

With a slight bow, Sakuno gratefully scurried behind the counter while dragging a confused Fuji with her inside the stock room.

A few seconds later, she heard the clacking of heels approaching the counter from the other side of the door and she slumped herself on the wall in relief. They had managed to get in the store room just before Fuji's monstrous fangirls could see them.

Thank goodness there was that neat clothes rack in the middle of the store to buy them some extra time.

"What did you mean by 'us' Sakuno-chan? Do you remember - "

"Shhhh," she chided, putting a finger in front of her mouth. "They'll hear you."

The tensai knew that it was a good advice to follow and so he remained quiet. Meanwhile, Sakuno crouched towards the door and put her ear to the wooden panel. Satisfied that the fangirl's interrogation with the shopkeeper of Fuji's whereabouts had finally ended, Sakuno stood up and extended her hand for Fuji to take.

"They're gone now Fuji-kun. Your fangirls just left already," she helped him up. "So what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"It was nothing," he tried to brush the topic off.

Shaking her head, the secret agent began turning the knob of the door. Her lip formed into a firm line and her voice came out rough and yet soft at the same time.

"I said that we were a couple to save you," she paused for a moment, " The old lady wouldn't have let us in any other way."

She then opened the door and Fuji walked out to find that his fangirls were gone like she had said. All that was left was the shopkeeper who smiled impishly at him.

"And you must be the Fuji Syuusuke they were all looking for," she chuckled. "You truly are the fine young man, ne? No wonder all those women adore you."

"Saa thank you very much for the compliment Baasan. However, I do believe that I find it hard to adore those girls back."

Smilingly, the old lady led the two out of the inside of the counter and patted Fuji's back. Taking Sakuno's hand, she looked up at the girl's face with a gleam in her eye. It was the kind of gleam that women would generally have whenever they had just finished watching a fluffy episode on their favorite soap or chick flick series; the kind of gleam that came after the end of a romance book.

She then took hold of the tensai's hand and put the two together.

For a moment Sakuno felt jolts of electricity course through her skin as both of their hands came into contact. Blinking her eyes, the auburnhead suddenly felt dazed.

She hadn't felt anything like that before; it was a foreign reaction to her,

"Sakuno," she slapped herself mentally, "Stop it! Stop thinking like this! There are more important things you have to think about right now. Fuji-kun does not like you. Snap out of it!"

Though she was battling with herself internally, outside Sakuno was calmly observing the brunette as he regarded their intertwined hands.

Taking her hand out of his hold, she gave a formal bow to thank the old lady for the help she had given them.

"No, I should be the one thanking you, young one," she returned the bow, "Seeing such a lovely couple lifts some of the sorrow out of this lonely old soul. Ever since my husband has passed away I've been all alone bit you two have helped me feel better. Now tell me dearies, what else was it that you needed?"

" Anou, could we have that black men's wig over there? That one over there," Sakuno pointed over to the wig. "And these clothes over here too. We need something to change in you see, Obaasan. We've travelled from afar and are now utterly filthy. We're going someplace important and we can't go looking like this."

"Oh! Why didn't you say so? Here dearies, take these. There's a dressing room over there at the left of the shop if you want to change," she handed over the items. Laying the amount written on the cash register on top of the counter, Sakuno gave another slight bow.

"Again, domo arigatou, Baasan."

Sakuno then walked over to the dressing room with Fuji following behind her. Stopping in front of the door, she dumped Fuji's share of clothes in his arms and told him to get changing first.

"I have to see how it fits you," she explained. "I'll be next, so go on ahead."

The tensai went in the room in compliance and Sakuno waited patiently outside, checking her equipment while the time passed. Her jet propelled shoes had just run out of gas and her compact phone was well out of range from the agency's frequency station.

She'd just have to call her superior later on.

Naru wouldn't be please, but there was nothing that she could do right now.

Putting the cell back into her pocket, Sakuno heard the curtain ruffle and Fuji walked out of the dressing room with a pose.

"So, what do you think? How does the pants and the wig look on me?"

Sakuno gasped.

Pushing him back into the room with both of her hands, she pulled the curtain back into place.

"Put on a shirt before you go out!" she shouted.

Sakuno covered her face with both of her hands and leaned on a nearby shelf. She felt heat creeping in her face.

She was embarrassed, just like when he had kissed her abruptly just after unmasking her. Back then it was pounding like this too.

It went thud, thud, thud in such a rapid succession it felt like the drumming of a rock band.

She was supposed to be used to this sight; male agents often took off their shirts when they had training under the heat of the sun.

Why did he have this effect on her?

Why?

Sakuno frowned and shook her head. She wasn't even allowed to think about these things anymore. She was an agent.

Taking in deep breaths , Sakuno calmed herself down so that when Fuji came out her blood didn't race as much as it did before.

"Are you sure this will work Sakuno-chan?" Fuji asked as he leaned casually on the wall opposite her.

This time calm and collected, she looked at him up and down and nonchalantly sized him up. The black wig, the black checkered shirt and the light blue jeans did miracles to the tensai's appearance. One recognizable feature of the actor Fuji Syuusuke was his light brown locks. With it hidden underneath a wig, Fuji would not be as identifiable anymore and thus their movement would no longer be that constricted.

Besides….she had to say, the black wig did make him look attractive.

"You look goo -" _Bakayaro Sakuno! What are you saying?_ "I mean you look different. Your fangirls won't recognize you in that, so, yes, it will work. Don't worry, daijoubo dayo. We'll get there for sure. Ne, I'll be changing, so wait right there."

"Alright Sakuno-chan."

A few moments later Sakuno pushed aside the curtains and walked out fully changed and fully pumped-up. Her hair set in a high pony tail, the auburn head wore a simple black blouse and skinny denim jeans.

"Aaaah! This feels good!" quailed the girl. She stretched her joints on both her limbs and legs until she heard them pop and gave a contented sigh. "Mou, that pure leather suit was so itchy and sweaty!"

Fuji chuckled and patted her head lightly. Sakuno's eyes widened at the contact of his hand on her head and something inside her jumped.

"Don't worry. I've been in a leather suit too and I know how you feel. You're not alone," he smiled with fake sympathy.

Sakuno raised her brows. The file was right, Fuji was a good actor. He would have made her believe in his acting skills even more had he not let his eyes wander down the base of her neck.

Sakuno stiffened.

"Ne, Sakuno-chan, do you wear necklaces?" he asked softly, his voice tainted with an inexplicable sadness that ran through her skin.

She shook her head and pulled up the collar of her blouse a little bit higher.

"No, not really. I'm not that fond of jewelry," she answered roughly, pointing her thumb out the door as she turned around and headed back to the counter. "Let's go, shall we? I'll tell Baasan that we're heading out."

Fuji couldn't help but look at her walk away with some pain as the recollection of the necklace he gave her on _that _day lingered on his mind.

"Ahh, you're leaving already?" cried out the old shop keeper at what her customer told her.

The auburn head gave a small smile and bowed her head down low.

"Hai, Baasan. It's getting late and I'm afraid we have to go. Fuji-kun and I still have to go someplace to eat. Anou….we haven't eaten anything yet."

"Well then, take these."

"Eh? What are these?" Sakuno peered into the brown bag, "Bandages? Medicine supplies?"

"Mmmmm. You may need them. I've seen the bandages on Fuji-san's arms and I know you worry about him, my dear. It's best that you take these with you on your journey so that you won't need to worry that much."

"Eto…I worry about what?"

"That's alright young one. I was like you once and I understand what you're going through. Sometimes it's difficult to face feelings we never really fully understand and people tend to either bury thoughts about them or ignore the emotion as it is. But no matter how difficult it is we all have to face these emotions in one point of our lives. Just like the past, we can't run away from it forever. Love is just like that," the old woman squeezed her hands tenderly, "Well then, you better get going now dear child. Take care of yourself and your beloved."

Letting loose her hand out of the shopkeeper's hold Sakuno thanked her once again for everything she did to aid them.

Sighing, the doe-eyed agent looked down and put a hand to her chest as she walked back towards a spacing-out Fuji who was waiting by the door.

Somehow she felt as if her chest had gotten a bit heavier than before….heavier than it ever had been. The old woman's words still clanged around the crevices of her ears like a broken record.

But the old lady was wrong.

There was no way she could fully understand what Sakuno had been through or the person she truly was and what she had to become. She didn't know anything at all.

Still though…..there were some things that were true in the words she spoke and those truths stuck in her mind even as she began eating dinner with Fuji.

"There's no running away from the past…huh?" muttered Sakuno with a blank expression just before she took a sip of tea.

Putting his cup down, the brunette male raised his brow in confusion.

"What did you say Sakuno-chan?"

The woman sighed and continued to sip on her tea,

"It's nothing Fuji-kun," she waved the question away, "It's…..nothing."

* * *

The granite path they were trudging on was rough, edgy and steep. It was a bit wide; wide enough for not more than three people to walk along side by side. The edge that ran along the cliff however, was chalky and brittle. One wrong step and it would be 'bye-bye birdie' not only with broken bones but shattered heads as well.

Talk about dangerous.

Fuji shifted his eyes towards the horizon beyond the cliff where the waves softly toddled along the beach. Just a few meters away from the shoreline were fishing boats that rocked with the waves and on the sand dunes were the fishing huts that lined the beach. The men were on some incoming boats hauling in their catch while their children and wives ran out to greet them.

The brunette actor stopped for a moment to look at them and wondered how simple their lives could be.

"Saa, Sakuno-chan, are you sure this is the place? This is well…..a…."

"A fishing village?" his captress finished the sentence. "Well, if you are asking the obvious, then the answer is lucidly yes. If the question is whether or not this is really the place where your sister is at then I would hate to disappoint you but the answer would still be a 'yes'. Your sister is being held safe here on this island."

Taking his eyes off the fishermen, Fuji quickly walked back to Sakuno's side and ran a hand through his hair lazily.

"So the life-threatening research of Yumiko-neesan is about fishing and the marine industry," he gave a run through his thoughts aloud without really giving them any consideration, "Well….that would be rather odd. Saa…I haven't heard anyone killing an innocent person over a fish yet."

Sakuno shrugged her shoulders.

Absent-mindedly she kicked a small stone sideways and watched it tumble down the cliff quietly. It was a rather midget pebble after all.

"Maybe there could have been a case like that. Who knows?" an uninterested expression graced her face. "Demo, Fuji-kun your sister's research is much more sophisticated than that. This fishing village in Chiba was the only cover-up location chosen because it makes her harder to find. Enemies would find this remote village a rather unlikely candidate for a hiding location."

"Oh. I see. What does Neesan work on then?" asked the brunette.

It was only natural for Fuji to want to know about the infamous research that had separated him from his life, family and love eight years ago. The research that had taken both Yumikoneesan and Sakuno-chan away from him and changed his entire world.

He had a right to know.

He wanted to know.

He needed to know.

Sakuno coughed.

"I'm afraid that I don't know much about the research. All I know is that it has something to do with marine and water weaponry. That's about everything I know on it. The details are anou….rather…classified. If you want to know more you should ask Fuji Yumiko-san, your sister, about it," she said.

"Marine weaponry…," muttered the actor.

He swiped a hand across his forehead and frowned.

"I was always led to believe that my sister was an important marine biologist in her field even after both of your 'deaths' during the car explosion. To me she died as a marine biologist in a freak accident. But to hear this…. I don't know what to believe in anymore."

Arms akimbo, Sakuno turned on her heel and faced Fuji with an annoyed look in her eyes.

However, as she glared at him, for some reason the brunette couldn't help but feel that there was a twinge of guilt tinted in her stare.

"This is the second time I have to tell you that I most definitely did not die ,Fuji Syuusuke-san!" she hissed through gritted teeth; her tone brandishing utter annoyance. "Do you mean to say that you think you know what happened to me Fuji Syuusuke when you weren't even there during the explosion? You don't know about it, you don't know me. Datte, I suggest you stop insisting that I died. I'll have you know it's an insult."

Cerulean eyes darkened as he lowered his head and continued walking on.

You don't know me…she said.

But he did.

He had known the old Ryuuzaki Sakuno.

He had loved her.

Noticing the sudden change in disposition Sakuno sighed and yanked him back into walking alongside her on the granite path.

"We have to get walking. Don't worry….I was just annoyed. I've forgiven you already," said the auburnhead. "You want an explanation, don't you, Fuji-san? I'm sure that Yumiko-neesan will explain everything to you later on. So onegai, step it up because we're almost there."

In silence the two walked onwards to where the path slopped down the cliff towards the shore.

Fuji stopped on his heels.

It was a large two-story traditional Japanese house from the Edo period complete with the pagodas, bonsais and koi ponds.

It was beautiful.

Fuji could easily tell that the entire compound itself was an antique. It spelled out through its stand, figure and character that it was a priceless antique that amounted then times the worth of fifty modern Japanese structures. Not many houses like these existed anymore.

The two stepped up on the sandy path leading to it.

"Sugoi," breathed the brunette, "Despite the age, the entire wood panel still seems durable. Who owns this place Sakuno-chan?"

"The government," she answered casually, "This is where your sister is staying."

The agent knocked on the shoji door.

"Who is it?" the protective and yet apprehensive answer came through the shoji.

"Ryuuzaki Sakuno, number 101," she pursed her lips. "Please don't keep me waiting number 39. Fuji Yumiko-san needs to see her brother, does she not?"

The shoji door slid open and out came a very tall, muscular long-haired agent wearing a hakama and gi who ushered them inside.

"Ryuuzaki-san, welcome back."

"Hai. Thank you, Yunoki-san. Tell me, where is Fuji Yumiko-san? I will be taking Fuji-kun to her."

So this is the Fuji Syuusuke? Fuji-san's actor brother?" the agent looked down at Fuji and tried to sum him up. His lips thinned. With a single arm, he gesticulated to another sliding door. "She's over there. Well then Fuji Syuusuke-san, she's waiting for you."

The brunette tensai paused mid-step and felt his blood run cold.

This was it.

He was going to find out the truth and though he didn't want to admit it, he was scared. He hadn't felt this way when Sakuno-chan told him that his sister had really survived the explosion. It was only now, the moment before he was actually going to see Yumiko well and alive that questions and doubts began to cloud his mind.

Was this really for real, all of this? Was Yumiko-neesan really alive? If so, why did she hide herself from their family? Did she have amnesia like Sakuno-chan? Did she change? Did –

"Fuji-kun," he heard someone call his name. Turning to the light touch of a hand on his shoulder, Fuji stared into the chocolate orbs of Sakuno. The expression in her eyes was gentle, calm and soothing, just like when she had comforted that little girl on the train. It was the expression that belonged to the Ryuuzaki Sakuno he had once known, and for some reason, it calmed him down.

A ghost of a smile traipsed on Fuji's face.

"Thank you Sakuno-chan."

With steady feet the tensai walked up to the room the other agent had pointed out and placed his hand on the door. Taking in a deep breath of air, Fuji curled his fingers around the deep imprint of a handle on the shoji door and pushed it aside.

Cerulean blue eyes widened.

"Neesan….it…..it really is you!"

"Syuusuke!"

* * *

**Japanese Translations**

Anou – an expression which in Sakuno's case means as 'well'

Chibi-chan – refers to a young child, chibi meaning 'child' and chan meaning 'little'

Oneesan/Neesan – refers to an older sister. Please note that neesan can also be used as a suffix added to a name to indicate the relation of the person in which the suffix is attached.

Oniisan/Niisan – refers to an older boy or older brother. Note niisan can also be used as a suffix.

Iie – no

Hai – yes

Domo Arigatou – a very polite way of saying thank you

Obaasan/Baasan – refers to an older lady, or a grandmother

Sugoi – amazing

Tensai - genius

-kun – a suffix indicating a close personal relationship or used to indicate some sort of attachment or minor crush

-san – a professional suffix used to refer to a person who is not close to you or to refer to a person at a professional level.

-sama – a suffix used to indicate higher authority or superiority. Fans often use this suffix to refer to their idol.

* * *

**A/N:** Domo arigatou everyone for all of the reviews! I never knew that this fic could really get a lot of responses and I'm glad for all of them! Well, speaking of the chapter, this second chapter is sort of a breather before all of the action actually insues. It sort of gives you guys the little minor details on how well the relationship of Sakuno and Fuji is going through and it has tid-bitty details on the truth of the matters concerning Fuji and the incident that messed up his life. :D The next chapter gives out more of the details and it has a whole lot more action. So sit back and wait for chapter three of Espionage 101!

PS: Please drop some reviews….pretty pretty please! (Smiles with puppy dog eyes)

* * *

**Review Box!**

**The Prince of Tennis lover**  
- gomene! This isn't the sequel to the love triangle – it's a totally new story. I don't know whether I'll make a sequel to the love triangle as of now. Everything is so busy as it is but I will try my best to write one.

**Diana**  
-Thank you for all the suggestions! Well, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to writing and I always have an open mind so if ever there's something wrong with anything you guys are all free to critique me.

Thank you for reminding me of the typos! Usually I hurriedly post stuff without having it edited ( I ask my beta reader to beta my work AFTER I post it. Ironic right? Well, she is in college and she's kinda busy too so….) so typos and misspelling becomes a bit constant in my chappies. Don't worry though, I'm trying to change that.

Diana-san I learned a lot from you! Arigatou!

**forever angel**

-Thank you for reading my first chappie! I hope this one is to your liking! Arigatou!

**Pussycat doll**

-Thanks a lot neko-chan! Keep reviewing for me ha? Sige na! Arigatou!

**Honoo no Shana-hime**

-Yeah, I will try my best to keep this thing updated….thank you for this review!

**Smash41KMF**

-Ahh…sadly the update wasn't as soon as you expected. I'm so sorry…I was really busy with life you see. Thank you for your review though, and I swear I'll try my best to review faster than this! Hope you like this chappie!

**Kazumi Kairi or Kairi-chan**

-Ahh, about that, does Sakuno really have amnesia? You'll find out soon, but I guess that you might probably know by now. Thanks for reviewing!

**Falling-Angel99**

-Thank you! I will try my best at updating a little bit faster, ne? Wish me luck ne. Is this chappie to your liking? Please tell me, any comment would be nice. It gives me more room to grow. ;D

**soni-chan**  
-Arigatou Soni-chan! I hope I can keep the suspense in for long. I think the suspense is slowly declining but I hope I can still keep it up. Do you think that the second chapter is still good? Hoping to hear a comment from you.

**Ice-creamy-life**

-Ah! To my second reviewer, you will find out the answers soon enough. Thank you for reviewing. How was chapter two? Chapter three is coming up! Nya!

**strawberry ponta-chan**

-My first reviewer ever! Honto ni arigatou desu! I'm glad that you commented on the typos and dragging parts….oh and I'm honored to be your first influence on Fujisaku fanfiction! Sou dane!

I hope this second chappie isn't as dragging as the first. Tell me if it is, kay? Thanks!

**TO ALL MY REVIEWERS THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE ALL OF YOU! MWUAH!**


	3. Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

Yeah. I know, its been such a long time since I updated this story and with the way that I'm dragging along, you're all getting bored of the wait. I don't think that you guys deserve the indecency of waiting, but I also don't think that I can write chapters as quickly as I used to before. I can't manage to juggle writing stories with my studies anymore. Senior year has toughened so much so that even though I have given what seems to be a better effort than I used to in third year, I am now finding myself hanging in the balance. I haven't failed in any subject though :D but I'm worried because 6 students have been kicked out this quarter because of failing grades. I cannot take anymore chances.

I will be on hiatus from now on and I will continue on with this story when I have time after graduating, which may be just 5 or more so months away from now. Anyway, I cant thank you guys enough for supporting me up to this moment. I hope that all of you will be blessed as you continue on with your lives.

Fuji no Onna

PS: Don't worry though, because even though as a red-eyed Arnold Schwarzenegger once said ' Hasta Lavista baby!' , there was also an 'I'll be back!"


	4. Chapter 3 Truths and Reasons

**Espionage 101**

**Disclaimer:** Owning the Prince of Tennis and any of its characters isn't my job, because even though I wish I did have Fuji, I don't. Same goes to all of the characters that I wish were mine. Don't try to sue me, because I'm not declaring that I want to steal anything that isn't my possession, especially awesome anime characters like Fuji-kun.

**Author's note:** Hello everyone! It's me again, Fuji no Onna. Yes, I'm back. Finally. I know that I've stayed away for so long – 6 or so months. ( I just thought about it and I couldn't help but go like –woah, girl it's been nearly half a YEAR!) I just graduated from highschool about a week ago and so I finally have been able to finish this long overdue chappie. :D .HEE.

Anyhow, this chapter is solely focused on reasons and truths. I really wanted all the action (the killing, the shooting and the suspense : } ) to start in this chapter, however, I realized that if I did I might be going too fast. I wanted to give some room for the characters to grow so I decided to focus on Fuji's reunion with his family and some of the secrets that have been held back for so long.

Without further ado, I give you Chapter 3 of Espionage 101 : Truths and Reasons.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

**Truths and Reasons**

**E101E101E101  
**

"Syuusuke-kun!"

There he saw her, by the edge of the window. Before he knew it, Fuji was wrapped in the warm embrace of his sister.

She pulled away to look up at him, crying and smiling at the same time.

"Nee-san," he choked, finding it hard to contain all the emotions swirling inside him. "It really is you."

How could he contain his feelings? For 8 years he was led to believe that his only sister was dead, but here she was, standing right in front of him. Sure, her long hair was cut short and it was now dyed black but even with the new hair color and the brown eye contacts, Fuji had no doubt that it was his sister.

"Nee-san, you've really changed a lot. Black hair, brown eyes. Is that the new fashion trend right now?" he joked, making her laugh.

"Oh, come now Syuusuke. You're even wearing a black wig. Hypocrite!" she chuckled as she gently wacked her brother's jet black cover up.

"It was a disguise. Saa, Neesan, you have no idea how persistent my fangirls can get," said the tensai as he yanked the wig off his head.

He frowned when he noticed her complexion and held her wrist lightly.

"Demo you seem so pale now - like a thin sheet of white paper. You haven't been getting enough sunlight, have you, Nee-san?"

Yumiko quickly pulled her hand back and gave a nervous giggle.

"I've been very busy, Syuusuke. My work is somewhat, um….demanding. But enough of me. How is my little outoto? I may have been kept in here but I do a have an LCD tv you know. Who knew the tennis tensai would become a star ne? And to win so many awards too. Japan film festival Best Actor Award winner for three consecutive years, Best Actor in a Drama Series, and so much more – Syuusuke, I'm so proud of you!"

She embraced him one more time, but the tensai stiffly shook her off.

"Demo I would gladly give all of that up for you and Sakuno- chan. For everything to be normal again." he said in a low, sad voice.

"Even if you did that Syuusuke, nothing would change. You can't rearrange the past." she answered.

Something in the way her voice came out made her seem resigned, jaded but it flickered quickly past and Yumiko clasped her hands together.

"Speaking of which, where is Sakuno-chan? I wanted to thank her for keeping my brothers safe for me."

"Brothers?" the tensai's eyebrows furrowed together. "You mean that Yuuta's – ,"

"Right here."

In came Yuuta with the boyish smirk he wore back in the old days. The silver-eyed man clasped his brother's shoulder and his mouth formed into a hard line.

"Aniki."

"Yuuta."

"It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?" he laughed dryly. Turning his face towards his sister, he said, "Ahh, Neesan. Ryuuzaki-san went down to the kitchen to make some tea. She said that she missed having tea….so off to the kitchen she went."

"Sou desu ka?" answered Yumiko. She held a thoughtful hand up to her chin, bit her lip and gave a short half-smile. "Eto, I wonder if Sa-chan will bake some pastries for us, ne? Oi, what are you two doing still standing there? Come, let's all take a seat shall we?"

Yumiko moved over to a low-lying lacquer table. The two boys followed her, squatting down across each other awkwardly. The two avoided eye-contact as much as possible and the stale atmosphere didn't seem to get any better.

There was a time, no actually a 'Once upon a time' , when everything was alright. A time when these two brothers were the best of friends. A time when they were still young boys and they didn't have that much cares in the world except for, well, putting band-aids on scraped knees and getting first dibs on the swings and slides.

But then they grew up.

When that happened Fuji Syuusuke became known as the great tensai – the genius – both in academics and tennis while little Yuuta had to revel underneath his brother's shadow. Their relationship became strained.

It wasn't easy, but after middleschool the two slowly began patching things up.

Only to find their hard work destroyed when both their sister and Sakuno-chan supposedly 'died' in that freak accident that changed both of their lives forever. After that they drifted apart and stopped talking about anything else aside from the basics like ' Where's the toothpaste?' or 'Are you going to school yet?'.

When they finished college and got jobs communication between the two brothers was almost entirely cut off.

They would barely talk when they'd get together to celebrate for some sort of occasion, especially when the occasion would be the death anniversary of Fuji Yumiko and Ryuuzaki Sakuno. When this happened, more often than enough Fuji would go to Sakuno's grave on his own and bring a bouquet of stargazers – her favorite. Then he and Yuuta would meet up at some bar and down some drinks until they were dead drunk.

Even then, meeting up with his brother wasn't that often because Fuji 's schedule was jammed. If they did get together when the rare occasion arised, their conversation was always dry and stiff.

Just like how Fuji predicted this conversation was going to be.

"Ne, Syuusuke, Yuuta," Yumiko coughed conspicuously, flicking her wrist at her watch. "I don't have that much time for this. I have to get back to work soon, so let's get this on shall we?"

The two glanced at each other briefly and nodded their heads.

"We have a lot to catch up on."

**E101E101E101**

Carefully, Sakuno set the porcelain teapot on the stove and bit her lips together as she turned the know to 'on'.

She brushed her hands together to remove the crumbs stuck on the palm of her hand when she heard the sound of the shoji sliding open gently.

"What are you doing?" she heard the slick voice of a very familiart fellow-agent ask from behind her.

She set a tray on the table.

"Same goes to you 96. Aren't you supposed to be on guard duty? The experimental lab is – "

"Locked and secured," he answered.

He glanced down at the oven and leaned on the counter, catching her eye.

"So. You can bake too. How interesting Ryuuzaki Sakuno. I didn't have an inkling that you were into the culinary arts."

He eyed her up and down, smiling predatorily as he licked his lips. The oven timer went off and Sakuno took the pastries out and set them out on the table. Edged closer to her.

"Well, there's a lot about me that you don't know, Kazeyama-san."

Suddenly his arm was around her waist and Sakuno nearly jumped in surprise.

"Why don't you acquaint me with them then?" he whispered into her ear. She flinched and moved away as he gave her a disapproving frown.

"You never really answered my question – the one I asked you before you were sent on your latest mission. I like you ever since you came into training. You know that. Why don't you just give in to me?" he questioned, his golden eyes boring into her.

She returned his gaze with one just as unyielding as his and her face hardened.

"Why?" she quirked up a brow mockingly. "Because I'm too busy with more pressing matters than having dinner with a slippery agent who just wants someone like me to add to his long parade of girls. Your charming good looks are useless on me. I'm not interested, Kazeyama Aoi-san."

The man looked stunned for a moment. Sakuno smiled at the thought of bruising the chowderhead's ego for once.

Kazeyama Aoi was one of the topnotch agents in the company that had looks that could make any girl melt at his feet and he used this to advantage. He was a notorious playboy who could get any girl into his bed.

Sakuno had known him since she started training with Naru because the first time they had been introduced to each other at the 7th level martial arts session he had instantly tried to hit on her. Too bad for him Sakuno had already learned to stop being naïve by that had already been through a lot and players like Aoi couldn't fool her even in the least bit.

Sakuno only wondered why in the world kami let him be one of the agents assigned to the ammunitions research facility. Dealing with the guy could be such a hassle.

"Oh well, that's alright. But I just can't give up so easily, now can I? Especially when I can prove that you'll become mine on our next mission to Kyoto," Aoi shot back, the irritating smirk growing steadily on his face.

Sakuno's smile faltered.

"What?"

Aoi chuckled and took a piece of namagashi from the tray. Taking an envelope from the inside of his suit, Aoi whistled at Sakuno as he held it out to her.

Sakuno looked up at him and then looked down at the brown envelope.

She scowled.

"What's this?"

"Oh, just details about our first mission together," he said, trying to sound cool and nonchalant.

Ao threw his head back and took a small bite of the namagashi in his hand. His eyes widened and he gave an approving nod at the carefully blended taste of the cherry namagashi.

"Wow. Not bad. This thing tastes awesome."

"That wasn't meant for you."

"Well, mind if I take one more then?"

Aoi was gave her his best pleading look, making Sakuno heave out a disgruntled sigh. She nodded hesitantly.

"Fine. But only one, okay?"

Then her phone rang. It was Naru.

"Um…eto…I need to take this call."

Aoi shrugged.

"Sure, go ahead," he replied as he bit into another wagashi. He moved towards the shoji and paused, turning back for a moment. "Thanks for this."

"And don't forget about our date." Aoi winked.

Sakuno would have stopped him, told him that it wasn't a date but a mission, but he was already out the door.

For a second time, the auburnhead's phone rang.

"Moshi-moshi. Naru?"

"Agent 101. Pleased to hear from you, finally. How was your trip with Fuji-san? No casualty?"

"Just some minor scrapes here and there. Some hooligans from the Tokyo yakuza made an appearance though," Sakuno answered into the mobile. "They seemed to be after Syuusuke – kun -eto,anou, I mean Fuji-san."

Sakuno winced at her blunder, mentally chiding herself for letting those words out.

"Syuusuke-kun, huh? I thought that wouldn't be a problem for you 101."

"No. It isn't. You know me better than that Naru. You were the one who trained me yourself."

For some reason, Sakuno pictured Naru smirking at the words 'you personally trained me' as his hands flipped through several files and reports. She shook the thought away before she could giggle into the phone and get into more trouble than she already was.

"I hope that I do know you better than that. Well then, Agent 101, send in your report tomorrow night for formality's sake. And I take that you've heard from 96 about your next mission?"

"Hai. About that…anou, I don't understand Naru. Wasn't I instructed to keep watch on the laboratory and Yumiko-san's research? I thought –"

"Your work there is over 101. I've just sent 45 and 152 up there to handle things. That mission to Kyoto, however, is imperative."

"But – "

"99 has two suitcases with everything you need. I expect you to be there by tomorrow morning, 10:00 sharp."

"Naru – "

The phone line cut and Sakuno was left looking at it in utter confusion. She ran a hand messily through her hair.

The auburnhead didn't understand the meaning of this. The instructions on the Fuji assignment was quite lucid. She was to secure the two brother's of Fuji Yumiko, taje them to a safe location and watch over them and Fuji Yumiko's weapon facility. Easy peasy. Just follow the directions like 1,2,3.

This was all in line with what the agency told her.

Naru told her more.

She knew that it was none of her business, but she couldn't help but pester Naru into telling her the reason for the assignment. She knew Fuji Yumiko ever since she entered the agency as a trainee under Naru and besides - she couldn't really work without sufficient details ,now, could she?

So far she learned that the Kana, head of the Yoru Hocho arms dealing ring had discovered that Komichi Sakura was actually Fuji Yumiko, the biology research that 'died' 8 years ago. Not only that, but they had come to learn of Komichi Sakura's weapons facility. The ammunitions made there were all high-class and deadlier than anyone could expect, making the mission to protect it more substantial and dangerous.

And now Naru calls her to say that everything was fine? That he was sending lower level agents to replace her? That she had another assignment, so she had to start packing?

Something was wrong.

She could feel it.

Looking at the kettle that had already begun to hiss out steam, Sakuno noticed the security camera caught in the reflection of its porcelain luster.

Bingo.

She now had a way to keep tabs. A solution. But she better hurry with it because, eto, Ryuuzaki Sakuno still had some tea to serve.

**E101E101E101**

"So this agency 'Japan Intel' had been keeping an eye on you ever since we were in middleschool?"

"Why, why didn't you tell us?"

"I…" Yumiko turned her gaze towards the waves crashing on the shoreline outside the window and sighed hollowly. " I couldn't. I wasn't allowed to tell you. It wasn't easy for me but the agents told me that it would be safer if no one knew. It you didn't know. I'm sorry that it had to be like this. I didn't want to hurt the both of you. I was just trying to protect our family."

Cerulean eye bored right through Yumiko dumbfoundedly. Fuji grit his teeth.

"But you did hurt us," he wanted to say. "You did hurt us and you don't know what it was like seeing your casket. You don't know what it was like to see Sakuno's casket."

But then he found his sister's own eyes and in them he could see sorrow, regret, and pain. The same pain that were in his own.

Fuji pursed his lips shut -only to find Yuuta bollocking in place of him.

"You didn't mean to hurt us?" Yuuta asked with a raised brow. He gave a humorless laugh. "Oh, come on Neesan. Pretending to be dead, isn't that enough to hurt us? You lied to us for all of these years and now to say that you didn't -ugh. Maybe you should've just stayed 'dead' if you wanted that!"

Fuji could feel the atmosphere in the room grow cold as the tension raised higher.

He could see guilt etched on Yumiko's face, the hurt of betrayal on Yuuta's own and he decided that this wasn't good for any of them. They would just end up cutting each other up.

"I'm sorry Yuuta. I really am."

"Neesan, sorry just doesn't make the cut. Don't you know that Okaasan and Outousan both died thinking they lost you? Don't you know how much grief it caused them? After all that we've been through I think we need a better explanation than 'I didn't mean to hurt you'. "

"But that's all that I'm allowed to tell you. The rest is classified. It would just endanger you all the more Yuuta."

"Oh so— "

"Enough." Fuji landed a fist on the table. "Enough. We're not doing any good by this. We should all be glad that we're all safe and that we're here together again. As a family. Isn't that what matters the most?"

The tensai held out a hand to each of his siblings.

"Truce?"

Yumiko readily took her brother's hand but Yuuta hesitated, looking down at the hand warily.

"Take it Yuuta."

"But Aniki…"

"Just take it."

The three of them shook hands and somehow the atmosphere wasn't as tense anymore. Right there and then everything was fine-until Yumiko noticed the black and blue bruises crawling up on Fuji's arm.

"Syuusuke, what is that?" she cried out in alarm.

"Saa, you mean these?" Fuji peered at the under portion of his arm. " Let's just say that Sakuno-chan and I may have had a rather bumpy ride in coming here."

"Bumpy?" Yuuta looked confusedly at his brother.

"Ah, we met some trigger-happy people on the way here you see. They enjoyed making us their targets. Demo, Sakuno-chan took care of them, so it's really nothing to be worried about really."

"Someone was chasing you?" gasped the eldest Fuji, her eyes widening considerably as the color drained from her face.

"Saa, it seemed like it."

"Naru was right," she muttered under her breath. "I just wouldn't believe it. Shinjirunaiyo demo….The fake death, how could have anyone seen through it? I can't believe this. They said that everything was under control and that they were just taking precautionary measures."

The brothers glanced at each other momentarily before turning to their sister.

"What do you mean Nee-san?" asked Syuusuke worriedly.

What in the world was his sister talking about? How important could this facility actually be and what sorts of ammunition were they actually making in this place? It seemed as if everything was going down under for the facility and by the way his Neesan sounded it looked like things were turning out bad.

Fuji wanted to find out more about this but now didn't seem to be the right time. He did not want to ensue more worry. Today in itself was stressful enough.

Sighing, Yumiko propped her face on her arm.

"I don't know, Syuusuke-kun. I don't know. Demo you need not worry. Everything will be fine. I'll speak with Sakuno-chan later on. She'll know what to do." she answered resolutely.

A small smile made its way up her face as she gazed far out into the sea in the horizon.

"Sakuno-chan has changed a lot now, you know. She's stronger. More capable. She used to be such a fragile little thing, but now, now she has outshone all the other agents. Sometimes, before I even know it, I find myself relying on her too much."

At the mention of Sakuno, something in Fuji's face hardened and he clenched his fists at his sides.

He recalled how Sakuno interrogated him. The questions she asked. The way she behaved was as if she had not known him at all. There in the station it was perfectly fine for him to just have Sakuno by his side for one more time.

But here his sister was - a piece to the puzzle of this bizarre situation - and Fuji knew that she was the key to knowing what _really_ happened to Sakuno. He was no longer contented with the assumption that his auburnhead love had amnesia.

No.

Not when the truth was just looking at him in the face.

"Change? Sure, Sakuno's changed a lot. But whether that change is perceivably acceptable –now that's the question."

"Syuusuke for kami's sake, calm down! What in the world are you so riled up about?" chided Yumiko. "Sakuno-chan's much better now. You make it sound as if it were a crime for her to stop being so timid and defenceless."

"There's nothing wrong with that Nee-san. Nothing at all. But to have her lose all memories about us and the time she spent with us in exchange for all that, now that's just something that I can't take, Saa."

"What?" cried Yumiko, her brows furrowing together. "What did you say Syuusuke?"

"He said that Ryuuzaki-chan's memories are jumbled Neesan. She thinks that she never lived with us when Coach Ryuuzaki died. She just not the same anymore. Aniki was the one who was hit hardest because they used to be so close to each other, righ Aniki?" Yuuta replied, giving his brother a coy look as he took a sip of water.

Fuji didn't bother throwing back a response at Yuuta or to even look at his sister's questioning gaze.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Promise me that no matter what you'll always stay safe. That you'll always be the same. I can't live with myself if something happens to you. So promise me."_

"_I promise."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Fuji shook his head as if to shake off the recrudescence of the happening.

Remembering those memories wouldn't help him now because Sakuno would not even be able to recollect them at all.

It would just pain him to think about it.

"She wasn't supposed to be there during the accident was she?" he asked his sister, his lips trembling in anticipation.

He was begging for a straightforward answer, no sugarcoats, no lies.

No he did not want her to recall the details of the disaster. He wanted the reason behind it.

He wanted answers.

"No," Yumiko gently shook her head, finally giving in. "She wasn't. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you this, after all it's not that classified. Just…keep this between us and everything will be alright okay?"

"Hai."

"Alright. You remember the accident right? The police investigators told you that there was a big explosion after the engine of the car overheated, didn't they? Well, it was supposed to be my cover up but just before the explosion Sakuno suddenly entered the car, crying. Naru rescued her just before the car went into flames. Decided to train her."

"What? Why didn't you just let her go?" question Yuuta.

"The agency couldn't let her off the hook that easily. Letting her out into the public would endanger her and expose the truth about my cover-up. Everyone would find out about my faked death. So, they decided to put her to good use. And that's who Sakuno landed in the Japan intel. Demo," she paused, "Who told you that she lost her memories about us?"

"Well when she took me here she sure acted like it," Yuuta shrugged, glancing at his azure-eyed brother in front of him. "She didn't even seem to remember Aniki or all the time they spent together, which is a lot to say."

Yumiko put a finger to her chin and gave a small, impish grin.

"That's true. You and Sakuno-chan used to be so close," she directed at Fuji. " You were always there for her, teaching her English, walking her home after school, buying her – "

"Stop joking around Neesan. Just tell me what I want to hear." Interrupted Fuji. " Tell me, did she really forget everything because of some sort of amnesia?"

For a second Yumiko stayed silent, pondering on what to say and the best way to put it.

Fuji tensed, waiting for the answer.

"Actually Ryuuzaki Sakuno –wait. Sakuno-chan, is that you?"

The tensai turned his head around to find the said girl standing by an open shoji door with a large tray abounding with tea and all sorts of pastries. His mouth hung open at her as she smiled at the group pleasantly.

"Yes, Neesan, it's me. Gomennasia. I meant to knock before sliding the shoji open, demo I did not want to barge into your conversation just when everything was going along quite well."

Fuji couldn't help but regard the girl with surprise.

The shoji had been shut closed earlier. They would have heard the smooth scratching of the wooden door against the floor if anyone had opened it but none of them had even noticed that sound at all, not even the faintest whisper.

Or maybe they were too busy talking to take mind.

Fuji observed carefully as the auburnhaired agent padded towards them and with ease, carefully set the tray atop the lacquer table. The warm and sweet smell of the tea drifted around the room and Fuji couldn't help but note fleetingly the last time he ordered Amniboshi to get him tea as aromatic as this one.

"I made some drinks and pastries for everyone. Cookies, parfaits, and the classic namagashi. Why don't you all try some?"

Yumiko tilted her head sideways as the scent of the tea wafted into her nose.

"Jasmine tea, am I correct?"

Sakuno smiled.

"Your favorite."

"Ah, actuall it isn't Sa-chan. I prefer light green earl. Did you forget that Sakuno-chan?" The silver-orbed woman asked, looking directly into Sakuno chocolate eyes.

Fuji felt that somehow his sister's eyes were searching for something as they continued to dig into the auburnhead's own.

The agent gave a confused "oh? It isn't?"

"No. Did you choose to forget that? Or did you intend to forget it?"

Sakuno coughed into her palm as she straightened up in front of Yumiko. " Mou, Neesan. I made a mistake with your tea…it's such a trifling matter. Demo, don't you think it would be best to discuss that latter? Or maybe I should just go and prepare some green earl-"

"No, no. I love earl but jasmine is quite suitable too. Please, sit down Sakuno-chan," Yumiko prevented the girl from getting up. "Have some tea with us. You made all of these for us…..you should at least have a taste of the fruit of your labor."

"Oh, alright then. Anou, let me pour the tea."

With impetuous grace, she poured the sweet-scented beverage into the four cups. While she did so, Yuuta hungrily eyed the stack of pastries that were neatly set in the middle of the table .At last, after giving in to its enticing look, he picked up a cookie.

"Can I?"

The agent gave a positive response.

"I took the liberty to bake these for everyone. Go ahead, take some."

Without the need to be told twice, Yuuta nibbled at the cookie and a lopsided grin spread across his face.

"Oishi tara! They've got strawberry cream in the center!" he cried, grabbing another piece. With one gulp, he downed the cookie and took another. "Oi, what are you two waiting for? I might end up eating everything on this table and I think that you wouldn't want that to happen Aniki, Neesan."

Yumiko and Syuusuke both took a cookie each. Thick and sweet strawberry cream swirled into their mouths. In seconds, Fuji's cookie was gone and before he knew it his hand had taken another.

"Sakuno-chan, this is quite good. Saa, it's so good that I can't even get enough of it!"

"Mmmm…" agreed Yuuta in between bites. "It's amazing. And so are the parfaits and namagashi…and….mmm…"

Yumiko laughed wholeheartedly as she wiped a cookie crumb from her face.

"Dear me. Sa-chan, you are turning us all into pigs. You've gotten really good at this, don't you know?"

"Anou, thank you minna. I'm glad you all like it," she gave a modest smile.

The four had a pleasant exchange as they enjoyed the snacks and tea. Their conversation accompanying it was light; about pastries, teas, recipes – a discussion which seemed to enliven the agent.

They steered clear of penetrating matters, especially the topic about Sakuno's sudden memory loss.

Only a handful of cookies and namagashis had managed to survive at the end of the discussion. These leftover cookies were shaped differently from the rest and Fuji wondered why no one had touched them yet.

Taking one, Fuji popped it into his mouth. Azure eyes widened in surprise.

"Wasabi."

"Eh, wasabi, Aniki? You want to make wasabi the special ingredient for daifuku? Demo that would ruin the sweet taste!"

"No. What I meant was that these cookies aren't strawberry-cream filled. They're, they're wasabi…" the tensai muttered in shock, turning his gaze towards Ryuuzaki Sakuno with a serious look on his face.

"You," he took the agent next to him by the shoulders.

"Oi, Aniki!"

"Syuusuke, what are you doing?"

"Sakuno-chan. You said that you had no idea who I was; that you haven't met me before. How could you lie to me this way? You didn't forget. How could you? You even recalled that wasabi was my favorite flavor in any of the pastries you made for me back then." he whispered tersely.

His blue eyes met hers, boring through, scouring for an answer.

Somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that he was accusing the girl over something yet unfounded. He knew that she just might have made the wasabi cookies out of pure coincidence.

But the fact that she had made them exactly the same way she would make them for him in the past had set him off and now his grip on her shoulders tightened.

"Ouch, Fuji-kun!" she cried out, wincing as she forcefully shoved him away. "Eto, what's wrong with you? What in the world are you talking about? This is the first time I baked wasabi cookies. I read in your file that they were your favorite so I made them!"

"But –," Fuji cut himself short and looked away, sighing.

She seemed so convincing. The way she glared, the confusion in her voice – it all seemed so real.

But Fuji just couldn't buy any of it. He wouldn't believe that all her memories…no check that…all _t__**heir**_ memories were gone. It was somewhere there inside of her, he could just feel it.

"You still think that we've known each other before, don't you, Fuji-kun? Mou, how many times do I have to tell you? This is the first time we met and I definitely did NOT die in a freak accident!" she ranted.

Huffing, Sakuno snaffled away the empty cups and plates.

"Tea time's over. Excuse me, but I still have work to do."

Unfortunately, just as Sakuno stood up to leave, the hem of her pants got caught on a loose nail on the floorboard. Sakuno was going to fall face-flat.

Before he could even think about what he was doing, Fuji's body moved and he caught her in his arms along with the tray of dishes. ( **A/N:** The training at Seigaku definitely payed off. Talk about quick reflexes.)

"Be careful Sakuno-chan," he said.

Their chests collided with each other quite closely, Fuji swore their hearts were beating the same rhythm together. Looking down at her sweet gorgeous face, the tensai could see in her brown eyes the girl he knew eight years ago. Always so tender and naïve.

Then those eyes hardened and she pushed him away.

"I can take care of myself."

"Wait Sakuno-chan!" Yumiko called after her.

Fuji watched them go disappear out the door.

He glanced at Yuuta who was looking at his brother intently.

"What?"

"Nothing, Aniki. Nothing."

**E101E101E101**

"What in the world did you forget Ryuuzaki? I mean, it must be something big to make our asset pretty worried back there. FujiYumiko-san doesn't normally show that much concern like the way she did."

Sakuno kept her eyes on the road and the passing vegetation.

"It's none of your business Aoi-san. You should concentrate on driving instead of prying into my personal life."

The agent glanced at the woman sitting next to him.

"Oh? But I don't want to pry into your personal life." he chuckled, throwing a smirk her way. " I want to be a part of it."

Sakuno laughed dryly.

"96 that was the worst pick up line ever," said the auburnhead, rolling her eyes.

"Well, there's no harm in trying right? Besides, we have an entire mission to change your mind. I'll make you mine and I'll make sure you won't forget that." he said.

She refused to take the bait. Instead, Sakuno kept quiet, staring out the window and hoping that he would just leave her be and shut up. Thankfully, he sensed that she wanted to be left in peace and so he zippered his mouth up.

Gazing blankly out at the landscape as they drove by, Sakuno couldn't help but wonder why kami had to make her put up with the dimwit next to her.

She shook her head lightly.

Soon, her thoughts wandered back to the safehouse they had just left lately.

Yumiko-neesan seemed pretty disturbed when 96 announced that he and Sakuno-chan would be leaving soon for another mission. Earlier on, Sakuno and Yumiko had been discussing certain _issues_ inside the kitchen when all of the sudden Aoi barged in and declared that they would have to leave sooner than expected if they were to make it in time to the rendezvous tomorrow.

The eldest Fuji was shocked to hear the news.

_FLASHBACK_

"_You're leaving for another mission? Demo Saa-chan, I thought that you were assigned right here! It's been a long while since I've seen you, and now you have to go away?" Yumiko protested._

_Sakuno tried hard not to make eye-contact with her as she grabbed her jacket from the kitchen counter and thrusted her left arm into the sleeve._

"_New instructions from headquarters," she muttered. "Anou, Nee-san please tell Fuji-kun to stop insisting we knew each other in the past. It…annoys me. Eto, just…I left him some wasabi cookies if he wants. It's in the jar in the cupboard."_

"_But is it alright for me to tell him…that? Those memories were important and he –,"_

"_Mou, Neesan, don't give me that too! Don't you think I've thought about it? Remember, I didn't know Fuji Syuusuke in middleschool or in highschool. You know that. And you know the truth. Only you – and I intend to keep it that way. The truth Neesan can be such a destructive thing. The truth."_

_Sakuno bit her lip. There it was again, that sinking feeling in her chest. She tried hard to shove it away from her train of thinking before she'd end up in a heap. _

_Agents didn't cry. They weren't allowed to. They were supposed to be strong. And Sakuno was strong. She had to be._

_Fuji Yumiko sighed, nodding her head. _

"_Alright," she murmured as she embraced the only person she could consider as a younger sister. "I'll tell him. Just be sure of what you're doing. Stay safe on your mission, because I don't want to see you in pieces the next time you get back here."_

"_Thank you," said Sakuno as she pried herself away from Yumiko. "Let's go 96."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"101, hey, 101."

Sakuno snapped out of her daydream and found Aoi calling out to her.

"Huh? What?"

"Kyoto's still pretty far off and day light's fading in fast. Why don't we find a place to bunk in for the night?" he suggested. "The meeting time isn't till 10 in the morning. We should get some rest for the big stake-out tomorrow."

She thought about it for a moment. Four to five hours drive wasn't that long. They could make it to Kyoto by 11 pm and there they could find a place to turn in for the night.

The dull ache in her sagging shoulders told her otherwise.

"Okay," she nodded her head, adding after a short pause. "But separate rooms only. Got it?"

"What? Wouldn't that be strange? We're supposed to be a couple," he said. "Separate rooms would jeopardize the mission."

The auburnhead snorted.

"Nice try Aoi. It's a stake-out, not an undercover assignment," she pointed out with a wry expression on her face.

"Wow. You really like playing hard to get, don't you 101? Any girl would be happy to sit next to me. You must hate my guts a lot don't you?" he said, glancing at her sideways.

"No, I don't really hate you. Anou…it's just that I'm not interested in you Aoi. You know that."

"Really? So who are you interested in then? The assets brother; the actor, Fuji Syuusuke?"

The auburnhead nearly jumped in her seat at the mission of Fuji-kun's name. Frowning, Sakuno's eyebrows knit together as she gave him an incredulous look.

"That's the stupidest thing you ever said, Kazeyama. I'm too busy to be interested in anyone, especially the ammunitions specialist's brother." she answered. "He's someone I hardly even know."

"So you say. But I've seen the way you look at him. Your eyes become softer and you become an entirely different person altogether and – "

"Let's just stop all of this nonsense and get back to work. We're not on this mission to do small talk. We're here to protect our country and it's people. So let's just keep this professional, okay?"

Aoi rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Fine, if that's what you really want."

"Good."

The two fell silent and Sakuno heaved an inward sigh of relief as she let her head lean down on the backseat head cushion.

"_Mou,that's right. I'm not here to fool around,"_ she thought to herself before letting her eyes close. _"I'm here to protect my country…and the people I love."_

**E101E101E101**

Unknown to the rest of the population of Tokyo, four gunshots were fired in the highest condo unit of the Skyline Tower as a large ,bearded, graying man swiveled to face the four men standing in front of his desk.

The four fell limply to the floor with a dull thud – lifeless.

Putting his two pistols to his sides, the man looked down at the bloody corpses as they lay on the floor and sneered.

"Clean that shit up. I don't want those moron's bloody mess on my cashmere Persian carpet." he ordered.

Without a second thought, three men took a large garbage bag, stuffed the bodies in and hulled them on a trolley.

"What now boss?" one of the three men asked.

"What now?" he growled, pointing out the door. "Take that to the incinerator and get rid of it. Don't leave evidence behind…not even a single dust of ash. Do it right or you just might end up like them."

"Yes boss."

Murosaki watched his men silently as they pushed the trolley out of the unit. Then his cellphone rang. Picking the phone up from his desk, he walked over to the balcony where he could see the glimmering lights of the city.

"So what info did you find?" he asked in a harsh, demanding tone. " How about the location? You don't have it? You listen here you worthless piece of thrash! You have the contact's residence, don't you? So go there and _CONVINCE _ him to give out the location. Find out where that bitch has been hiding all along."

The man on the other end stammered a hasty yes, fear emanating in his voice.

Murosaki's lips curled into a sardonic grin.

Oh, how he loved being in control.

"By the way, Kagura," he added. " You should do better than those four idiots I told to kidnap that Fuji guy or else you'll end up just like them – DEAD."

Snapping the phone shut, Murosaki Ichiro leaned on the railing of the balcony and traced the X-shaped scar on his arm.

Ah, yes…if everything would run smoothly he would have Fuji Yumiko's Z-29 in no time. Yes, in no time at all.

**E101E101E101**

**Japanese Translations**

Anou – an expression which in Sakuno's case means as 'well'

Oneesan/Neesan – refers to an older sister. Please note that neesan can also be used as a suffix added to a name to indicate the relation of the person in which the suffix is attached.

Oniisan/Niisan – refers to an older boy or older brother. Note niisan can also be used as a suffix.

Aniki – older brother

Outoto – younger brother

Iie – no

Hai – yes

Domo Arigatou – a very polite way of saying thank you

Tensai - genius

-kun – a suffix indicating a close personal relationship or used to indicate some sort of attachment or minor crush

-san – a professional suffix used to refer to a person who is not close to you or to refer to a person at a professional level.

sou desu ka – a term which means 'is that so?'

namagashi – a kind of wagashi pastry that contains 30% moisture content. Can vary in shape, size, texture and taste.

**E101E101E101**

**A/N: **Just one more thing -PLEASE REVIEW! I know most of you, my dear reads, have lost interest in this story because of the long wait, but still don't turn back on Espionage 101 yet!

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! That is my one and only message to all of you! :D


	5. Chapter 4 Broken Promises

**Espionage 101**

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**Disclaimer:** Standard disclaimer applied. I really don't have anything to say when POT really isn't mine to mess with – but my fanfiction is though. So I hope you RRR – relax, read and most importantly **Review**…hehehe…:D

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**Chapter 4 **

**Broken Promises**

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Bullets sizzling past her, Sakuno hissed out loud as a shot nearly grazed her skin by a couple of centimeters. Grabbing out her silver pistols, the agent returned fire. She had managed to get one of the shooters down, but she had missed the other. The ruthless bastard continued barreling bullets out at her as she dodged for cover behind the large cargo hull where Aoi was holing himself.

Glancing down at her partner, she noticed that he had been shot twice on his thigh.

Blood continuously poured out from the wound and Aoi groaned as he tried to get up.

"Don't! Just sit down, you'll hurt yourself even further if you don't listen," she chided.

"Don't worry about me 101. I'll be fine….I just need to get up and-ahhh!" Aoi gasped as he winced at the increasing pain.

The sound of gunfire pounding against the metal of the cargo hull resonated like the sound of hailstones hitting a rooftop. What was worse was that the shots were getting close.

Hurriedly, Sakuno tore out the sleeve of her white blouse and wrapped it around Kazeyama's thigh.

"Put pressure on the wound to lessen the flow," she said as she reloaded her guns. "Stay there. I'll be back to get you."

"Oi, Ryuuzaki where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to fix the jam that we're in."

Peaking behind the cargo hold, Sakuno's eyes narrowed.

A dozen men had lined up above the stairs of the warehouse's second floor. Several grenades lay in their hands.

Sakuno's lips thinned out into a hard line.

Grenades? Explosions?

Oh no. Not on her watch.

Taking a deep breath, Sakuno grabbed her pistol and somersaulted out into the open.

The gunner had called for backup earlier and several of the gaudily dressed men tried to shoot her down while others began pulling out the pins of their grenades to throw at her direction.

But Sakuno continued flipping towars them. She pulled her guns trigger. And that single bullet flew straight in the air right into the first grenade just before it could even leave the man's hand.

First, Aoi heard a single exlosn, and the another, and then another, and before he knew it the warehouse began creaking. It was slowly crumbling down.

"96, let's go!" shouted Sakuno.

Helping him to his feet, the two hurried to their car with Aoi limping and groaning all the way.

"Let me do the driving," the auburnhead said as soon as they made it to the vehicle.

Nodding his head, Aoi threw the car keys at her and Sakuno hurriedly got into the driver's seat. As soon as Aoi had managed to pull himself in, she pressed down on the accelerator and sped out of the warehouse just before the structure came tumbling down on them.

They were just a meter away from the place when the building collapsed completely.

The sound of walls and pillars falling apart drummed in their ears like the sound of the ground groaning during an earthquake. Sakuno looked into the side-view mirror to find the warehouse reduced into nothing but a pile of debris. Dust rose up behind them, getting smaller and smaller as they drove farther away.

"Damn," cussed Aoi in a hoarse voice, leaning his head on the headrest. "What exactly happened out there?"

"We'll think about that later. Eto, right now we have to get you to the hospital," she declared, glancing at her partner.

Sakuno frowned.

The color was draining from her partner's face and he seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.

"Don't stop putting pressure on the wound!" she cried out, taking the roll of bandages from inside the dashboard and throwing it at him. "Wrap that around your thighs. You're losing too much blood. We need to take you to a hospital."

"But…we'll miss the exchange. You heard what the guy said –"

"Mou! I don't want my partner dying out on me, alright? I'll take care of the exchange later. Now keep quiet and put some arm grease into staying alive, will you?" she growled.

Sakuno stepped hard on the accelerator and went at 60 mph as she wove in and out of the noontime traffic. Wiping the droplets of sweat from her forehead, she peered at Aoi sideways and increased the speed to a 75.

Things weren't looking good.

"Eto…what a mess we got into," she muttered to herself, steering into the hospital driveway. "What a big mess indeed."

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"Amniboshi-san!" called out the bald-headed director. "Amniboshi-san! Spare me a minute or two. This is important."

Fuji's manager spun around to find himself face to face with the director of the movie his client was starring in. Snapping his phone shut, he paused in the hallway.

"Kitoshi-san," he regarded the man with a bow. "What a coincidence it is to find you here. Aren't you filming today?"

"Oh, I was," replied the director humorlessly, "Until your client bailed out on me. Now I'll just have to shoot the minor scenes that don't need him. Tell me, how long will that 'family affair' take him?"

Amniboshi suddenly choked. He put a hand to his chest, patting it lightly.

Of course, he knew that someone would ask questions sooner or later. He just wasn't ready to answer them yet. A hundred things were running laps inside his mind.

What was he to say?

That Fuji Syuusuke had been abducted during the conference? That the men with guns, the smoke, the threats weren't just a publicity stunt? That they were all REAL?

For a split second Amniboshi went through all the possibilities if he stopped giving out answers that had been prepared by Japan Intel and just told the truth. Amniboshi shook the thought away before he could actually do it.

Telling the truth would be very, very dangerous.

"I don't have all day Amniboshi-san," snapped Kitoshi impatiently, "Just answer the question. How long will it take Fuji to get back here?"

"I don't know Kitoshi-san," the manager replied. "I absolutely don't have a clue on how long Fuji-san's family business will take him."

FLASHBACK

"So what are you trying to say? That my client has been taken by your agency? What am I even supposed to say to people when they ask for him?"

Amniboshi couldn't but raise his voice at the agents.

This was outrageous.

His client had been chased down by four burly goons with guns and these men expected him to be calm? He could hardly even keep his cool when Fuji would hide to avoid conferences ( probably just so that Fuji could see him exasperated), how much more for something like this?

Fuji Syuusuke hadn't been a mere client to Amniboshi. He had been a friend.

It was only natural for Amniboshi to react like this.

"Take it easy," repeated the agent. "Everything will be alright. Your client has been taken to a secure location. Japan Intel is the agency that takes care of all our nation's secret affairs."

"Japan's 'FBI'?" he mockingly quirked up a brow at the word.

"Yes. You could put it like that," said the other agent. "Everything is well arranged. Fuji Syuusuke is safe. You can trust us."

Finally seating himself down on the sofa opposite the two, Amniboshi sighed.

"So what do I do when someone asks?" he looked at the two men.

"Say that what happened in the conference was just a publicity stunt. If anyone asks for his whereabouts, say that he is attending a family affair outside the country."

"What kind of family affair?"

"Say that it's personal. For the rest, just hold it up. You're used to scheming and managing, aren't you Amniboshi Ichinen? You're a celebrity manager. Make up your own lies."

"Alright."

END OF FLASHBACK

"What do you mean that you have no idea?"

"Listen, Kitoshi-san." Amniboshi turned the director over to the side, "Fuji-san's family life is his personal business. He's having a troublesome time now. Cut him some slack. Other producers gave him better offers and yet his chose your movie. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Oh, but he isn't irreplaceable Amniboshi. If he doesn't turn up I can find another star."

The manager snorted and gave the director a kind of wispy look.

"Are you sure about that? Do you know how many viewers you would lose if you changed the lead? No one can attain Fuji-san's level of acting. That's why he ALWAYS gets the awards," he said. Turning around, Amniboshi began to leave. " Well, if you're that serious about picking a third-rate star over THE Fuji Syuusuke, just give me a call so we can work out the papers. I have other appointments to attend to. Fuji still has international offers to deal with."

Amniboshi left the director in the hallway, hoping that his method of bluffing had worked.

And it did.

A minute later, Amniboshi could hear the director calling after him. After admitting that he had been wrong and saying that Amniboshi didn't have to bring up the details of their conversation to Fuji, Kitoshi hastily told the manager to give the actor his regards.

"Tell him that we will be waiting for him to come back to the set," said the director as he walked off. "Just tell him to not make us wait that long."

"Hai."

Alright then. So that problem was solved. Now on to the next one.

After digging in his phone for his mobile, Amniboshi typed in the digits of a number he knew all too well. He was about to hit the call button but then he paused for a moment, hesitating.

FB

"Don't try connecting with Fuji Syuusuke on the phone," he remembered the Japan Intel agent advise him. The other agent deleted Fuji's number on his phone.

"Why?"

"Just don't, you hear me? Your client will get into deep waters if you do."

END OF FLASHBACK

Amniboshi frowned. He couldn't understand. What harm could one phone call do?

He needed to talk with the celebrity about everything that was going on in the studio. But most of all he needed to know where his friend was and whether he was safe like they had said. It was now the fifth day since Fuji had been taken away. He was anxious to find out about the safety of his friend because frankly, he did not trust the Intel Spies wholly.

With a decided look on his chiseled face, Amniboshi pressed the call button.

A cocktail look of surprise, disbelief and relief made its way on his face.

"Moshi-moshi?"

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Walking up and down the sand, Fuji relished the course, gritty feeling in between his feet. The warm sea breeze of the summer month blew across his face. He shut his eyes closed.

Shoving both of his hands in his pockets, the tensai tried to remember how many days he had been in the premises of his sister's safehouse.

The press conference had been on Monday. It was already Friday today. 5 days, four of which he had seen no sign of his auburnhead interest.

Yumiko-neesan had told him that she was sent on another mission by the agency and that she would come back as soon as she was needed.

And he needed her right now.

The tensai didn't like the way they had separated.

He had somehow infuriated her and that gnawing feeling that he had done something wrong by accusing Sakuno of lying just didn't sit right with him anymore.

Well…he still didn't believe a word she said when it came to her memories but somehow he just couldn't bear the thought of the girl being upset with him. Besides that, Fuji wondered why she had left at such short notice without even telling him.

He was worried and he couldn't help it.

Where was she? What was she doing? Dodging bullets? Being hanged upside down in an interrogation room? Was she being forced into submission by an enemy or worse yet was she….

"Mataku na!"The tensai digged deeper into his pockets and then let his hand connect with his head.

That was right. He wasn't allowed to use his phone so he had left it in his room.

"Great," he sighed.

Fuji was about to return to the safehouse when his brother ran up to him, Syuusuke's phone in hand.

"Aniki…pant..pant… you have a phone call…," Yuuta panted out.

"Really? Saa, who is it?"

"Your manager? Amniboshi was the name – right?"

"Amniboshi? Saa, Yuuta, give me the phone!"

Suddenly the two heard a bang and the tensai felt a quick, strong force knock the mobile right out of his hand. It fell and shattered on a rock.

Fuji bent down to inspect the remains and noticed the bullet buried in the gadget's battery casing.

"I told you no calls," he heard an angry voice out in the distance.

The tensai looked up to find the violet-haired agent coined as 99 Yunoki standing a few yards away. The agent strapped the gun back to its holster at his side and Yuuta gave the agent an incredulous look.

"Oi, couldn't you have just given a warning? You nearly shoot Aniki's hand off!" exclaimed the younger Fuji.

The agent looked at the ranting Yuuta in indifference.

"I don't give a damn. The rule's the rule. And you both broke it."

"Demo, you could have made your point in a more civilized manner," reasoned the tensai as he picked the phones sim from the pile of shattered glass and plastic. "It was just a call from my manager. I've been missing for five days from the set. Saa, don't you think that you could have just let me find out what I need to know?"

"No," the agent sneered. Snatching the card from Fuji's hand, Yunoki easily snapped the small disk into two in between his fingers. "You cannot call with a line that isn't secure. It can be easily detected and our location can be tracked. Understand? Good, now let's go."

"Go where?"

"Oi, 35. Do Protocal 47 – 4889. Security has been breached. Get ready to get the researchers and all the equipment out. We're leaving," the agent mumbled into his phone, totally ignoring Fuji and his query.

The violet-haired man then turned around to leave but Fuji shot out and grappled his arm.

"To where?" he casually asked once again, twisting his arm so he would face him.

Yunoki was lean, well-built and tall, towering at a height of 6'2 but the brunette Japanese actor was just as tall and muscular. Fuji had undergone a lot of physical training and though he hadn't quite attained strength equal to that of Momoshiro the power player, the tensai was still very formidable.

He was lithe and nimble. Not to mention that he was also a genius.

Somehow, he had accurately twisted agent 99's arm at an angle so that Yunoki couldn't look anywhere else but at him. Yunoki gave a threatening glare.

"In a safe location. It doesn't matter. What is it to you? You were the one who breached security."

Fuji eased up a little however his hold on the agent's arm remained.

"Will I be able to contact my manager? He must still be thinking that I'm missing. I need to call him."

Yunoki scowled.

"Didn't I just tell you no calls? Damn, you sure are something."

"Saa, well then, I want to know where we're going and whether Ryuuzaki Sakuno will know about this 'change of location'."

"Who?"

Yuuta wriggled his toes in the sand and looked at his brother with a simpering expression in his silver eyes.

"Agent 101," he answered for Fuji.

"Agent 101, huh?" the violet-haired man raised his brow at Fuji. He began to consider it for a moment, but frowned. "I'm sorry but that is not my jurisdiction to answer that. My job is just to keep you two safe. That's all. To do that you should abide by the rules or else I will have to use force."

The arm in the tensai's hold tensed and Fuji let go. Nodding in approval, Yunoki headed towards the safehouse.

"Alright, follow me. We'll be leaving soon."

Together the Fuji brothers walked after the agent.

Secretly, Syuusuke only hoped that somehow he would see Sakuno again. Even if it were for the last time. He really did.

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Plopping the wooden crate inside a panel in the side of a large transport truck, two men sighed in relief. The first man, a large stocky fellow dove into his pockets for a towel and wiped it over his brow.

"That's the last crate, isn't it?"

"Yeah," answered the second. " 40 crates out 40. We're about done."

"Good. Now get out of there."

The two spun around.

There at the trucks opening was their boss, smoking his expensive cigar contentedly as he leaned on the truck.

"Y-y-yes boss."

Stumbling out, they hurriedly got off the truck and moved past the group of armed underlings their boss always brought with him.

"Well know, what are you dogs waiting for?" the boss puffed out a large cloud of smoke; his eyes turned towards his men. "Get the truck ready. Our client Al Khazir Mohammed does not approve of tardiness."

Instantly they scattered to work. They fired up the engines while their boss put his coat over his black tweed Armani suit. Snuffing out his cigar with his heel, Sagashite Kuroi was about to head into his Rolls Royce when three dust-coated men fumbled into the underground parking lot. Kuroi paused at the door of his car, waiting for an answer.

"So?" he looked at them expectantly. "Tell me that you got rid of those two Japan Intel idiots like I told you to."

Silence.

Kuroi snarled . He pinned one of the men on to the side of the truck.

"I told you to finish them!" he flared angrily.

"We were able to shoot one down. But the girl….she destroyed the warehouse and managed to escape."

The man shook nervously as his boss's lips turned into sardonic grin that emanated sinister waves.

" Mori, do you know what I do to failures?" he asked, pulling out his gun from the inside of his coat.

An air of silence condensed in the room as Kuroi wiped his gun with the hem of his sleeve. He grinned upwards.

"I make sure they won't produce any failure just like themselves!"

A gunshot rang inside the room.

The man Kuroi had thrown to the side of the truck felt something whizz in between his legs. There was a hole in his pants.

He looked down and sighed in relief when he didn't find his vital organ shot off. The other two took a step backward as their boss walked past them towards his car.

"Get on your bikes and make sure those Japan Intels don't get within a kilometer wide radius of the rendezvous," he said, getting into the driver's seat. "And don't make a mistake. Next time I won't miss shooting your balls out."

Hurriedly, the three got on their bikes and speed away to the place before the boss could even move.

A few moments later, the Rolls-Royce rolled out of the parking area with the truck following closely behind.

Unknown to Sagashite Kuroi and his men, a taxi cab was going at the same speed and direction as they on the parallel street a block away from theirs.

The infamous black market arms dealer was too busy lighting another cigarette to notice they were being followed. In fact, he was too busy thinking about the security of his rendezvous and his latest and most important dealing to know that the inside of his coat had a small black circular object.

A bug.

A bug that belonged to none other than our auburnhead protagonist.

Looking out the taxi's window, Ryuuzaki Sakuno continually monitored the Rolls-Royce's movement as she adjusted the ear piece hidden underneath the length of her hair. Despite the dark windows, she could still make out the silhouette of Sagashite picking up his mobile phone. She pushed the earpiece deeper into her ear and listened to the arms dealer calling Al Khazir Mohammed, telling the muslim that there was a slight change of plans.

The rendezvous was to be changed to a parking building with a helicopter pad three blocks away from the original location. He explained that it would be easier for the Sheik to access in comparison to the first one.

But Sakuno knew the real reason for the mix-up. She knew that Kuroi didn't want to risk Japan Intel intervention.

What he didn't know was that they were on his trail already.

The stakeout hadn't been entirely unsuccessful. Case in point, though she and her partner had been spotted, though Aoi had been badly wounded, and though their itinerary hadn't gone as smoothly as she had expected, the had been able to get enough evidence to prove that Sagashite Kuroi, son of politician Sagashite Mori, was dealing ammunitions illegally.

They had lists of deals, prices, bids….yes, they had enough to shut him down.

"Eto…anou…sir, could I ask at what speed are we going now?" Sakuno questioned the driver from the passenger seat.

"40. But that's the speed limit. Why? Do you want me to stop following that trucks speed and go faster?"

The girl opened her purse, thrusted a large wad of cash at the man and gave a nod.

"Yes. Faster. A lot faster."

"You're willing to give me this much if I go at a 65?" the driver asked, looking at Sakuno with slight doubt. "Are you sure about this?"

"Just go!" she shouted.

"Alright, alright!" he huffed, pressing down on the wheel. "Kids these days…mataku na.."

Sakuno reached the Morimoto Parking building 20 minutes earlier than the arms dealer. She was glad that she had picked an excellent taxi driver who could go a long way with a little motivation. He really did know how to move past the traffic.

However, instead of going into that building, Agent 101 chose to go up the condominium right beside it.

Kuroi had a knack for sending his men to scope out the place just before he'd arrive to the arms dealing venue. Sakuno did not want to expose herself to them yet. Not until the right moment.

So the auburnhead went inside the Goldengate condo house.

When the lobbyist asked her what she was doing there, Sakuno quickly brewed up a sad sob story of how much she needed to see her infidel boyfriend ho d left her just after a three year relationship to propose to her bestfriend, saying that she wanted an apology from him. She even cried a little.

And it worked.

One does not underestimate the proper manipulation of the human psyche. The woman was a hopeless romantic. Sakuno could tell it by one look.

Sakuno then got into an elevator and promptly stopped at the sixth floor, two levels above the fourth floor of the parking building. When she got out of the elevator, she noted blankly a businessman locking his room up. Just before he brushed by her and disappeared into the elevator, the auburnhead quickly sized him up and decided that his would be the room she would break into.

He seemed to be the over-competative type of businessman, a workaholic who rarely had time to get a life outside the company, much less to have a relationship.

No one else would be in the room.

Using a simple bobby pin, the auburnhead was able to pick her way into the room which was surprisingly more cluttered than she had imagined. "How delightful," she snickered.

Running to the glass window, Sakuno set herself underneath the sill and took her binoculars out of her backpack. From where she was, Sakuno could spot four of Sagashite's men, two at each corner of the building.

She recognized the three as the gunmen who had tried to kill her in the warehouse where she and her partner had been discovered doing the stakeout.

Sakuno frowned.

The guarantee that she would be able to get to where they were without being noticed was slim. But then again, the sun was beginning to set towards the horizon. The darkness would be able to hide her descent.

Sakuno looked down at the sluggish traffic-jammed street below her and noticed the black Rolls-Royce up ahead followed by Sagashites truck. Her frown deepened.

"Mou, things are getting difficult," she muttered to herself. Her lips formed into a hard line. "But that won't stop me!"

Quickly, the girl shoved the binoculars back into her bag and took out a strange looking jacket. She put it on, opened the window and climbed up on the sill.

Pausing for a moment, she took in a large gulp of air.

It was a long way down. If something went wrong, she could go down splat like a bug. Splat….

Sakuno shook her head and steadied herself up the sill.

She didn't have to think so negatively. She had to do this. If she was to finish the assignment and get back to the safehouse….if she was to get back to Yumiko-neesan, to Fuji-kun, then she had to do this.

Sakuno hardened herself.

"I'm not weak anymore. I can do this."

One, two, three….

The auburnhead jumped.

Spreading out her limbs, air lifted from underneath her as she brought her jacket to its flying form and glided down towards the opposite building. She landed on the ledge and nearly lost her footing when one of Sagashite's men noticed her and nearly shouted "Hoi, there's an-"

"Anou, an intruder?" Sakuno finished, holding up her silencer as she hopped from the ledge into the building.

Sakuno smirked.

"Well, hello boys. We meet again."

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"Excellent work, Agent 101. I knew you would be able to finish the mission without fail," Naru praised the auburnhead.

However, turning his head around to inspect the area, the 30 yr-old head of the intelligence department of Japan cringed at the vicinity.

"Demo, you could have worked a little more neatly, couldn't you?" he gave his former tutee an impassive raise of his brow as he paced about the parking lot.

Ten men shot dead, five casualties, two car explosions, a partner stuck in the hospital and a warehouse turned into a derelict heap of mess Sakuno left was a lot unlike her. Naru had trained her for four years and he knew just what he taught her.

This reckless style was not his teaching.

"Care to explain this kind of outcome to me, 101?"

"I had to take drastic measures Naru. Sagashite Kuroi isn't an easy catch! 99 nearly died when we were caught at our stakeout," she quibbled, scowling at Naru. "Though Al Khazir was able to get away, I was able to take Sagashite. Wasn't that the main objective?"

Looking down at the girl, Naru shook his head and sighed, noting the large scraped bruise on her collarbone.

" You try so hard to scowl, but really, Ryuuzaki, it becomes more like a pout. You always complain when I ask more from you. It's one of your bad tendencies," he muttered, taking out a bandage from his pocket and deftly setting it on her wound. "I wonder why I have to baby you sometimes, Sakuno. I'm not your father."

"Eto, I don't understand why you do that either," she answered back, folding her collar back up while Naru watched her with a slight smile curled on his lips. Sakuno smiled back. "Maybe it's because I'm your first and last trainee, ne?"

His eyes fell down on a silver string peeking from underneath her blouse and the oh – so familiar design he had seen her wear from the very first time they met.

" Sakuno, your taste in jewelry is yet to improve," he snickered at the simple chain of silver and its small ruby pendant. "You've been wearing the same necklace for eight years. Go and buy a new one."

"I can't….it's important to me Naru. You know that," she said stubbornly, rearranging the necklace back into place underneath her collar. "It's become part of my past, part of who I am."

"Really now." replied the supervisor with a tinge of amusement. Walking towards his car, he rolled his eyes at the agent as she followed him with furrowed brows.

"Listen, Sakuno-chan, you aren't who you were before eight years ago. Move forward, let that thing go and get something new," he said. "And stop beating around the bush. I know you aren't following me to the car to discuss jewelry. So spit it out."

Pushing air past her teeth, the auburnhead answered in a collected and determined voice, "Naru, I want to be reassigned to the Ammunitions Research assignment."

For a moment Naru paused from opening the car door. He looked at the sweepers cleaning up the last pieces of blackened car metal and then looked at the only person he had ever bothered to train. Naru sighed.

"No."

"But Naru, you know that assignment needs me!" Sakuno protested.

"No, it doesn't. YOU are the one who does. You need it as excuse to go off and look after Fuji Syuusuke. Don't you?"

Nothing came out of her lips, but Naru saw it in her eyes, her sincere answer of 'Yes'.

"It seems that I'm right. Do you know why I put you off the case? Do you want to know why?" said Naru, his eyes boring down at her. "Because I knew you couldn't hold yourself when you called me and said the name Fuji-kun, not Fuji-san (* kun suggests a name of endearment while san suggests formality or a distant relationship). 101, this is a world where you can trust no one, where everything you love can be taken away from you in a snap. You have to be detached to live in a world like this. You have to let him go before it hurts you. Let go of the past."

Now Sakuno was clenching her fists at her sides, her small pink lips quivering as she stared back at her superior. The black-haired man continued boring at the girl's eyes, knowing that she was recalling her distressful past, her lonely childhood, and that she was holding back the tears.

"I know what it takes to live this kind of life. My parents also did and so I know what it is to have your family, to have everything, taken away," she muttered. Her voice tightened. "So don't tell me that I can't hold up and I can't take it. I'm not weak Naru!"

"Then why can't you let go of Fuji Syuusuke? Why do you insist on staying by his side? Why do you blatantly want to protect him?"

"BECAUSE HE'S THE REASON I CAME HERE! NOTHING ELSE!"

Naru was taken aback, his handsome face gilled with rare surprise. He had not expected this kind of outburst from her. He had seen her cry. He had seen her annoyed. But he had never seen her this furious.

Naru frowned.

"I stayed in the agency. I kept away from the outside world. All for the only people left in this world for me," she continued, "Do you remember our promise Naru?"

"What we agreed on has nothing to do with this."

Sakuno's eyes narrowed and Naru saw the soft features of the girl harden.

"Well, if you won't give me your approval to return to the safehouse then I'll just have to go without it."

And off she went.

"Agent 101! Agent 101! Ryuuzaki Sakuno!" he called after her but she had already jumped off the building and was now gliding further and further away. Naru cursed out loud and ran to the ledge.

"35.7, 14, go get 101 now! Chase her down. I repeat, chase her down!" he ordered into his receiver. "And don't report to me until you find her! Agent 101 has gone rouge. However, do not shoot to kill. I want her back her with me safe and sound."

Putting his phone down, Naru scowled as he watched Sakuno disappear into the train station a few blocks away just as his agent's patrol car spun itself outside of the parking building.

Of all people to go disobeying his direct orders and going rogue, it just had to be his only apprentice, Ryuuzaki Sakuno. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed her so far….It was just something that snapped in him when she had unwittingly admitted that she could not let Fuji go. It made him slightly – irritated, and he had gotten mad and drove her to the edge. Now he was regretting what he did.

Sakuno was a cunning girl. She'd be very hard to catch.

He should know – he was the one who had taught her everything that she knew, from her style of shooting to the way she would pop up a grenade. Though she had been rather uncoordinated during their first months of training, she had proved to be rather skilled. She was quite determined during their lessons that sometimes Naru had to even force her into taking breaks.

She was resourceful and creative – using anything she could to keep up. Naru watched her with silent admiration as she took his techniques and created her own. Her progress wasn't surprising, considering who her parents were…but now the auburnhead was angry and on the loose.

He did not want her of all people to interfere with the Ammunitions research mission. The Japan Intel head knew the damage the girl was capable of doing. That mission was something she shouldn't take part in.

He had special plans for that mission…and with Sakuno around…

Gritting his teeth, Naru hurriedly strode back to his car but then he noticed a flash of movement and he slackened his pace.

"He's here," he said to himself. "How untimely."

Quickly straightening his tie out, Naru stepped into his black vehicle and coughed dryly.

"I know you're there," he snickered.

A quiet chuckle came from the back seat.

"My, my. What a lovely accommodation you have for me. Quite better than the last one, I have to say. You know I was never meant for alleyways, don't you Naru? I'd rather have you ask me to meet up here instead of that filthy alley down Mochi St. it reeks."

Grunting, Naru rubbed his temples.

"You chose the wrong time to come and see me. I'm busy. So if you don't mind, just step out of the car."

"Ah, this is about that auburn girl, isn't it? Well, you could try chasing her down but right now it's pretty useless. She's just dropped out of the satellite locator. Must've crushed her phone or something," said the thin, mousy-looking man in the backseat. He held out his hand held locator for Naru to view.

Naru sighed.

"Anyway, I wonder why you care so much about that girl. It seems as if you're still a bit guilty about what happened to her parents – though I can also put your protectiveness as a by-product of your feelings for her, I mean."

Jumping in his seat, Naru spun around to face the interloper, his light-gray eyes going wide as they stared into the man's own beady ones.

"How did you know about…"

It was the man's turn to snicker at Naru.

"I am not called Akuma the middleman for nothing. I know everyone's darkest secrets and if I may say, I truly do find it interesting that a man such as yourself would have one just as heavy as mines. But no matter," Akuma said, tweaking his skinny hands in the air. His lips set into a line. " I ain't here to discuss about the secrets you've got with you."

Naru leaned on the driver's backrest.

"Let me guess, Murosaki-san has another message for me."

"Yes, yes he does. So listen carefully and do as he says or else everything you've got will be screwed for sure Yamamoto Naru."

**ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101**

******JAPANESE TERMS**

Mou, Saa, Eto - expressions used in conversations

Mataku - an expression meaning jeez

Kun - a suffix for names used to denote affection or a close relationship

San - a suffix for names used to denote formality****

**********ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101****ESP101ESP101ESP101**

******A/N: **Konnichiwa minna! Mou osoide ne? Well, anyhow, I've finally update after a month and a half and it feels really good. :D smile, smile, smile. There are a lot of twists to this story and somehow writing them isnt that easy for me anymore. My brain is draining and I dont have that much inspiration.

So dear readers, inspire me! Please! I feel like an utter dry well right now and I have no idea how to go on with this fic. Come on, review and suggest something. I was kind of thinking I'd have all the other Seigaku members do an appearance but I dont know how it'll go with you guys.

What do you think? Should I let them in or not?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chappie.

Sincerely,

Fuji no Onna

******PS: READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**

****** BTW: TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS FIC I SHALL NOW BE DOING A MONTHLY UPDATE SO FEEL FREE **

****** TO REVIEW AND BASH ME IN WHEN I DONT. XD.  
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